▁commission ▁he ▁held ▁until ▁receiving ▁a ▁captain cy ▁in ▁the ▁Reg ular ▁Army . ▁Later , ▁he ▁served ▁as ▁Con struct ing ▁Qu arter master ▁in ▁both ▁Hon ol ulu ▁and ▁in ▁Y ellow stone ▁National ▁Park . ▁While ▁yet ▁a ▁Captain , ▁he ▁commanded ▁the ▁Second ▁Battalion , ▁Four teenth ▁Infantry , ▁and ▁under ▁his ▁training ▁that ▁batt alion ▁made ▁an ▁une qu aled ▁record ▁in ▁known ▁distance ▁firing . ▁While ▁a ▁Major , ▁he ▁was ▁Ad j ut ant ▁General ▁of ▁the ▁District ▁of ▁Columbia ▁Army ▁National ▁Guard , ▁which ▁he ▁developed ▁to ▁a ▁high ▁state ▁of ▁efficiency . ▁As ▁Colonel ▁of ▁the ▁Th irty - e ighth ▁Infantry , ▁he ▁inst illed ▁that ▁fighting ▁spirit ▁which ▁won ▁for ▁that ▁regiment ▁its ▁fame ▁as ▁the ▁" R ock ▁of ▁the ▁Mar ne ." ▁ ▁As ▁Brig ad ier ▁General , ▁he ▁took ▁command ▁of ▁the ▁N inth ▁Infantry ▁Brigade . ▁In ▁the ▁quiet ▁An ould ▁and ▁St . ▁Die ▁se ctors , ▁he ▁gave ▁the ▁units ▁of ▁the ▁Brigade ▁effective ▁training ▁for ▁the ▁big ▁operations ▁that ▁were ▁to ▁follow . ▁In ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Saint - M ih iel , ▁General ▁Cast ner ' s ▁brig ade ▁was ▁at ▁first ▁in ▁reserve ▁with ▁the ▁T enth ▁Brigade ▁in ▁line . ▁When ▁passage ▁of ▁lines ▁was ▁made , ▁he ▁pushed ▁his ▁out post ▁lines ▁up ▁near ▁to ▁the ▁H inden burg ▁Line . ▁In ▁the ▁first ▁phase ▁of ▁the ▁Me use - Arg onne ▁Off ensive , ▁his ▁Brigade ▁captured ▁C un