The Base Honor Guard (BHG) Badge, known as the “Cookie” is a device that only Active Duty, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard Airmen wear when they are assigned to a BHG. Not even retirees can wear it unless they are actively working with a BHG. I went through two weeks of honor guard training many years ago (1990) …
Physical and Psychological Performance Preparation
Preserving the pattern of the “P”: for your positive pre-reading program, precluding any possible problems: peruse The Difference Between Practice and Training and The Difference Between Practice and Rehearsal. Please also read, Having a complete Plan for a Performance and, from the Civil Air Patrol angle, How to Plan and Coordinate a Color Guard Event. Now that we have given Ps a chance, …
World Drill Association Mentioned in AFJROTC Newsletter
The World Drill Association (WDA), is the organization developed to create a solid foundation for adjudicating all types of drill and ceremonies in the military drill world: regulation, ceremonial and exhibition. The WDA exists to educate judges and Military Drill Professionals of all levels. The WDA recently co-hosted a drill meet at Florida Air Academy in Melbourne, FL and Headquarters, …
My Cadet Hero
The best reason for JROTC, in my view, is that high school cadets can wear a military uniform and participate in different activities no matter their physical issues. I have worked with JROTC units for many years and have had the opportunity to work with many, many cadets. Of those cadets I have seen some with physical issues that would …
Drill Team and Honor Guard Unit Training
In the military, we train. And we train, and train and train. We have major training scenarios (exercises) that involve multiple services and other countries, we have them for a single military installation, single unit training, all the way down to military specialty and ancillary training for each individual. It’s time consuming, but well worth the effort. After all, lives …
Creating the “Drill Buddy” Concept for Your Unit
The Army and Marine Corps have the Battle Buddy system. The Navy and Coast Guard have Shipmates and the Air Force incorporated it’s Wingman system service-wide in the late 2000s. Maybe you are not familiar with this concepts but might see the opportunity to adopt it once you see how it works.Honor guard units and drill teams can use this to …
Putting Things into Perspective
“We won!” Those words are great to hear and sometimes even better to yell. I knew the feeling of “winning” at drill meets throughout my four years of high school AFJROTC; my team swept every meet and so did I as the team’s commander for my last two years. It was hard work, fun and I learned quite a bit. …
Romeoville High School JROTC Drill Meet
Yes, I did. I drove from Melbourne, FL to Romeoville, IL to judge a drill meet. Seriously. I love to do what I do and Don Dunning asked me if I would come up and judge about a week and a half before the competition. My answer: “Sure!” And now it’s over with, but it was such a great day! …
“Team Canadia” and Eau Gallie High AFJROTC Compete!
The Canadian team from Alberta, 2313 South Alberta Light Horse Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps, or “Team Canadia” (at right) as they were affectionately referred to, competed at the second annual Florida Air Academy Drill Competition along with Eua Gallie High School’s Air Force JROTC drill team and color guards. Just two teams competing? Yes. We had six teams on …
JROTC Cadets Wearing Military Service Accouterments
There is a problem at the JROTC level that has nothing to do with drill- “Education is key!” There seems to be a severe lack of education with some JROTC instructors regarding the wear of military service items on JROTC uniforms. I have photos of AFJROTC units wearing the Base Honor Guard cookie, which I will not post here. These …