| At the time of this reenlistment William Crismon was stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas. He was assigned to Troop “A”, 2nd Cavalry. He will remain in this command for almost twenty years. In 1853, Fort Riley was named in honor of Maj. Gen. Bennett C. Riley who had led the first military escort along the Santa Fe Trail in 1829. Most of Fort Riley’s original limestone buildings are still in use today. Pop had been in the Field Artillery since his first enlistment. His job there was the care and use of horses. The horses were primarily used to pull the heavy guns and caisson wagons. It was in France during WWI that William Crismon decided horses and the Cavalry would be his military career. In a US Army Cavalry Troop, four levels of enlisted rank existed. The top Non-Commissioned Officer was First Sergeant. The First Sergeant position was warranted by way of a General Order (GO) issued by the Commanding Officer of the Post. A GO warrant remained in force until rescinded by a subsequent GO. The First Sergeant was in charge of all enlisted men assigned to regular duty within the Troop. The subordinate ranks were Sergeant, Corporal and Private. In the early 1940’s these four enlisted rank designations were significantly expanded. Today, they are even more complex. |