Regulation Drill: What I would like to see

Ultimately, I’d love to see Open Regulation Drill and Open Color Guard, both from the World Drill Association, incorporated in any drill meet that would want to take on this awesome and exciting replacement to the standard RD and CG phases.

For now, though I’d like to see more moves that are listed in the drill and ceremonies manuals actually used in competition. It gives the cadets more to work on and broadens their movement vocabulary.

The Unarmed Regulation Drill Sequence

1. Fall In (grading and timing begin)
2. Forward
3. Change Step
4. Halt
5. Present Arms
6. Report-in
7. Order Arms
8. Open Ranks (go through the motions of checking alignment, only)
9. Ready Front (cover)
10. Close Ranks
11. Parade Rest
12. About Face
13. Left Face
14. Close (Close Interval)
15. Extend (Extend Interval)
16. Column of Files From The Right, Column Right
17. Halt
18. Right Face
19. Left Flank
20. Halt
21. Right Step
22. Halt
23. Column of Fours (threes)
24. To The Rear
25. To The Rear
26. Double Time
27. Column Right
28. Quick Time
29. Close
30. Extend
31. Halt
32. Left Step
33. Halt
34. To The Rear
35. Mark Time
36. Forward
37. To The Rear
38. Eyes Right
39. Column Half Right
40. Column Half Left
41. Column Right
42. Right Flank
43. Left Flank
44. Column Left
45. Column Right
46. Column Right
47. Halt
48. Present Arms
49. Report Out
50. Order Arms
51. Right Face
52. Half Step
53. Forward
54. Halt (out of bounds)
55. Left Face
56. Fall Out (grading and timing end)

Next, here is what I’d like to see in the Colors phase. Why? Because it gives the cadets useful movements that colors teams in the military actually perform! I’m not saying that the current sequence(s) are completely useless (close), they do need immediate updating.

For Color Team Regulation Drill

1. Fall In (about 15 feet from the Head Judge facing the drill pad, in column formation, grading and timing begin)
2. Port Arms
3. Forward
4. Guide around to the left (a “soft Column Left”) to end up centered on the judge, team picks up Mark Time
5. Colors Turn-On
6. Present Arms
7. Order Arms
8. Stand at Ease (Army- Parade Rest)
9. Attention
10. (Uncase Colors Sequence*)
11. Right Shoulder
12. Right Wheel
13. Forward
14. Right Wheel
15. Eyes Right
16. Halt
17. Port Arms
18. Move into single-file column with Right Rifle Guard leading
19. Ripple to Right Shoulder
20. Reform into Line Formation
21. Left Wheel
22. Forward
23. About Wheel
24. Forward
25. Halt
26. Colors Turn-Off
27. March to centered on Head Judge
28. Colors Turn-On
29. Present Arms
30. Report-Out
31. Order Arms
32. (Case Colors Sequence*)
33. Step (for departure)
34. Colors Fall Out March (out of bounds, grading and timing end)

*Uncasing and casing the colors is not performed in the military all that much anymore, if at all. Usually, the installation honor guard takes care of the colors and these two sequences are not used for honor guards. The uncasing and casing of the colors is accomplished out of site of the public. I’d like to see it removed from the competition sequence so that the cadets can concentrate on movements they can actually use.

Top Photo: USCG HG. Bottom Photo: USAF, Hanscom AFBHG (at the installation level, officers can be a member of a Color Team)