When Calling Commands, where does the commander face?

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C/MAJ Henry, leads the Hephzibah Female Drill Team during the Regulation Drill portion of competition in the Richmond County High School JROTC Competition Day at the old VA Hospital athletic fields on 13 Mar 02. Metro Andrew Davis Tucker

When Calling Commands, where does the commander face? (ROTC, JROTC)

Those of us who have worked with Army units have had it drilled into our heads that you MUST face your platoon when giving commands during regulation drill. This necessitates a face-in-march or even marching backwards at times. Here is the excerpt from T.C. 3-21.5:

3-1 “a. When at the Halt, the commander faces the troops when giving commands. On commands that set the unit in motion (marching from one point to another), the commander moves simultaneously with the unit to maintain correct position within the formation.”

Marine, Navy and Coast Guard units have this info from MCOP 5060.2 which also necessitates the requisite facing movements and marching for team commanders:

“2. When giving commands, commanders face their troops.
a. For company formations or larger, when commanding marching troops from the head of a column or massed formations, commanders march backward while giving commands.”

But did you know that Air Force units ALSO need to do this? Here it is from AFMAN 36-2203 (emphasis mine):

“2.2.2. The commander faces the troops when giving commands except when the element is part of a larger drill element or when the commander is relaying commands in a ceremony.”

So, AF drill team commanders, you need to start facing your flight and applying the proper facing movements and marching when giving all commands beginning TODAY!

face the formation, face the platoon, face the flight, drill team, regulation drill, rotc, jrotc

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