Most cadets and many adults know only this phrase about fainting (flaking) in formation. You definitely need to expand your knowledge to educate those for of whom you are responsible.
Capitol police officer fainting at guard change for casket watch.
Do you really think a Marine Corps Drill Instructor is going to hyper extend his knee joints (what is commonly called “locking”)?” No, he would not be so careless.
So, what happened? Let’s take a look at the possibilities.
- Dehydration. It takes three days to properly hydrate, and you must stay hydrated, especially when active.
- Didn’t eat well or changed diet. Even switching protein powder that morning can have a very serious effect on blood sugar content. Your body needs a consistent supply of food and, more importantly, relies on the regular intake of food.
- Start of or getting over an illness. Zinc and D3 are your best friends.
- Start of pregnancy. I once had a female friend in formation who was gaining weight and didn’t know why so she began an altered diet to lose weight. She passed out at guard mount and she and her husband found out they were going to have a baby.
- “Time of the Month”. A woman’s monthly cycle can cause fluctuations in hormones and body changes that can affect how she reacts to standing in formation for an amount of time.
- “Locking” your knees. That engages your thigh muscles which restricts blood flow upstream to your brain. That’s bad news many times.
- Anxiety. Maybe you’re not prepared as well as you think you should be. Maybe it’s being out in the public and performing.
- Lack of Conditioning. Exercise is very necessary several times a week- weights and walking/running can be beneficial for many reasons.
- A combination of any of the above.
The Soldier on the floor in the photo above changed his protein powder the morning of the ceremony. By the way, the ceremony had a showtime of 0400 and performance time of 0800, so everyone was in place at 0700.
Relax
The position of Attention should be a relatively relaxed position- not as relaxed as sitting on the couch at home, but there shouldn’t be any unnecessary stress on the muscles in the body.
- When at Attention, you should not “pull your shoulders back” as that creates stress on your upper back.
- The only tension that should be in your body is enough to cup your hands and pull them back to have your thumbs on the trouser seams.
- Locking your knees can put stress on your heels, taking much of your bodyweight.
- “Locking” your knees is actually hyper extending the knee joints
- You can over stretch ligaments, putting excessive stress and pressure on the surface of the knee and make your quadriceps weak.
- Standing in a “locked” position for long periods of time can tear or strain ligaments and help to break down cartilage, especially the meniscus that helps protect and move the knee.
- Locking can actually promote arthritis in the patella (the knee cap), or the knee joint.
- Doctors suspect that locking the knees increases pressure on the vascular system throughout the legs, causing varicose and spider veins.
- Your center of balance creates many pounds of pressure on your feet. If you force your heels to support the majority of your weight, it can result in constant heel pain. This also travels up the back of the legs into the lower back.
In the graphic above, the grey star is the goal for your center of balance at Attention and Parade Rest. The red star is what you don’t want to do. Placing your center of balance at your heels makes you feel as if you are leaning back or possibly will fall backwards and that is why some people will lock their knees, to keep from falling backwards.
Condition
You must condition yourself for long stands, especially in direct sunlight with heat and humidity. Work to increase your stamina by race-walking, running, swimming, or another aerobic exercise. Weight training is going to be very beneficial for you as well. You don’t need to get “muscle bound”, lifting weights will keep your body toned to support your structure and keep your weight at a healthy level.