Lesson 18 Drill and Ceremonies

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Drill and Ceremonies ^[54]

General

Drill starts the day a man enters the Armed Forces. Some of the drill terms are: base, column, depth, distance, element, file, flank, formation, front, guide, head, interval, line, pace, rank, and step. The purpose of drill is to enable a commander to move his unit from one place to another in an orderly manner; aid in disciplinary training by instilling habits of precision and response to the leader’s orders; provide a means of enhancing the morale of troops; provide for the development of all soldiers in the practice of commanding troops.

Ceremonies (reviews, parades, honor guards, retreats, reveilles, artillery salutes, funerals etc.) are formations and movements in which troops execute movements in unison and with precision just as in drill. However, their primary value is to render honors, preserve tradition, stimulate esprit de corps, enhance the morale of troops, and develop cohesion.

Drills give junior officers and NCOs practice in commanding troops. Stress should be placed on precision in execution of the manual of arms and in marching in step with proper alignment.

There are three methods of instruction used to teach drill to soldiers: step-by-step, talk-through, and by-the-numbers. As a rule, marching movements are taught by using the step-by-step method. Movements that require numerous or simultaneous actions by an individual or unit are best taught by the talk-through method. Movements that have two or more counts are taught by using the by-the-numbers method. Each movement (regardless of the method used) should be presented using three teaching stages: explanation, demonstration, and practice.

Drill Commands

A drill command is an oral order of a commander or leader. All drill commands can be divided into two-part commands, combined commands, supplementary commands, mass commands and directives.

Most drill commands are two-part commands: the preparatory command and the command of execution. Neither part of a two-part command is a command by itself. (The command Ready, aim, FIRE, is considered to be a two-part command even though it contains two preparatory commands.) The preparatory command states the movement to be carried out and mentally prepares the soldier for its execution. The command of execution tells when the movement is to be carried out. In the command Forward, MARCH, the preparatory command is Forward, and the command of execution is MARCH. For ease in distinguishing a preparatory command from a command of execution, the commands of execution are normally printed in BOLD CAP letters and preparatory commands are printed in Bold Italic letters[55].

In some commands, the preparatory command and the command of execution are combined: FALL IN, AT EASE, REST. These combined commands are given without inflection and at a uniformly high pitch and loudness comparable to that for a normal command of execution.

Supplementary commands are oral orders given by a subordinate leader that reinforce and complement a commander’s order. They ensure proper understanding and execution of a movement. It is normally given between the preparatory command and the command of execution.

Mass commands may be used to develop confidence and promote enthusiasm. They are definitely effective in developing a command voice when instructing a leadership course. When the instructor wants the unit to use mass commands, he commands AT YOUR COMMAND. The instructor gives a supplementary command describing the movement to be performed (for example, face the platoon to the right) and the command of execution – COMMAND. When the instructor says COMMAND, all personnel in the unit give the command Right, FACE, in unison, and simultaneously execute the movement. When the instructor wants to stop mass commands, he commands AT MY COMMAND. The normal method of drilling is then resumed.

Directives are oral orders given by the commander that direct or cause a subordinate leader to take action. The commander gives directives rather than commands when it is more appropriate for subordinate elements to execute a movement or perform a task as independent elements of the same formation. Directives are given in sentence form and are normally prefixed by the terms HAVE YOUR UNITS or BRING YOUR UNITS (for example: BRING YOUR UNITS TO PRESENT ARMS). TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR UNIT is the only directive on which a commander relinquishes his command and on which salutesare exchanged.

The commander gives the command AS YOU WERE to revoke a preparatory command that he has given. The command AS YOU WERE must be given prior to the command of execution. The commander cannot cancel the command of execution with AS YOU WERE. If an improper command is not revoked, the personnel execute the movement in the best manner possible.

Cadence. The term "cadence" has several meanings in drill. It is the uniform rhythm in which the movement is executed. It is also the number of steps or counts per minute at which a movement is executed. Cadence, in commands, means a uniform and rhythmic flow of words.

To enable the soldier to learn or maintain cadence and develop rhythm, the instructor should have the soldier count cadence while marching. To count cadence while marching at quicktime,the instructor gives the preparatory command, Count cadence, as the left foot strikes the marching surface, and the command of execution, COUNT, the next time the left foot strikes the marching surface. The soldier begins to count the next time the left foot strikes the marching surface and counts as each foot strikes the marching surface: ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR; ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR. To count cadence while double timing,the procedures are basically the same, except the soldier only counts each time the left foot strikes the marching surface. To maintain cadence when marching,soldiers will be allowed to sing, or a drummer’s beat may provide cadence.