Becoming a Professional Driller

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Q: How can I become a professional Driller?

A: What you are talking about is becoming an Independent (Indie) Driller which very few people have done successfully. Why very few? Most likely because the military drill world is relatively small and there hasn’t been anything offered to anyone who would like to drill after high school or even college. Within the past few years a few competitions have either opened their doors to Indie Drillers (IWDC) or only accept Indie Drillers (Pro America, the EDCA series of meets). This then creates more demand for the Indie Driller.

I think drill is a sport with all kinds of positives that one can use for the rest of their life and the continuation of drill as a hobby then gives the younger generation someone to which they can see and emulate. I applaud anyone who is willing to continue drilling simply for the joy of it. If it is your passion, go for it. You can always put it on hold for a time to accomplish whatever you need, but your rifle will always be there for you and the World Drill Association has plans on creating more and more competitions for all kinds of Drillers. I hope one day the WDA can be of service to you as you become a world class Independent Driller!

We will begin to identify what being a “Professional Driller” really means. It’s a state of mind. You only get one chance to make a first impression. What kind of first impression do you want to make? What kind of reputation would you like to make and leave behind? Whether you are on a drill team or an independent Driller, the choice is yours to make.

Join us on Facebook: Military Drill Professionals group.

Pro = Cash, right?
No. We’re talking about an ideal, not cash. Sure, professional golfers, fishermen, etc. get paid for what they do, but until the drill world starts getting sponsorship, we’re talking about how one acts. And acting professional is what this article is all about; not the acting that is on a stage, but applying professionalism to your life on a daily basis.

Watch your actions
When interviewed about a recent arrest or jail time, some very ignorant sports figures over the years have said that they are not a role model to anyone especially young children. This is utterly ridiculous. Everyone at one time or another is a role model for someone else. Now, they could be a poor role model or they could be a positive role model, the choice is theirs. What you do, what you say and how you act can have significant influence on others. Always act in a professional manner and you will do well.

“What we do in life, echoes in eternity.”
From the movie, Gladiator.

And Your Mouth
Foul language never has a place in any situation. Always remember, practice makes permanent: what you do in practice you’ll do any other time. This is not limited to the physical action of going out and practicing, your daily activities are ‘practice’ for every other time. If you curse constantly when hanging out with “the guys,” you will most likely utter certain inappropriate words at times when you wish you hadn’t.

Along with this goes your feedback; learning the language of visual design and adjudication will greatly improve your efforts to offer feedback to others. Don’t let your personal feelings or biases get in the way.

Support Others
Whether you are an individual Driller or part of a team, you are actually competing with yourself and not with others. Coming to this realization can be difficult for some. When you focus your attention on others, you can then fail to see what improvements you need to make. Competing with yourself allows you to cheer others on and also encourage others and when they do well you can share in their achievements and when you do well, they can reciprocate. Competing with yourself also allows you to focus your attention where it needs to be focused: you.

Don’t be swayed into “hating” another Driller or drill team that you are competing against. Competition is not about disliking a competitor, competition is about doing your best 100% of the time. If you can walk off the drill pad knowing that you did your best, then nothing else matters. Trophies and other accolades are nice, but they are external. The inward feeling of sheer pride cannot be beat.

Here is an example: a small team from a small school goes out to a drill competition, they are only able to put in four hours of practice per week. They understand that they do not have the chance of placing high, but they go to the competition with high spirits and during their performance they give it their all. in this case, no one can say anything against them. They know their limitations and yet they perform with pride. This is the heart of competition. When everyone understands this, the better the drill world will be.

Another example: Take the guards at the Tomb of The Unknowns in Greece. Americans might call the uniform, hat and even the tassel-balls on the shoes very strange or worse. Even the marching style is completely different from what those of us in the USA are accustomed to. Those who do not poses much maturity might even laugh, but this is a different culture with completely different traditions, etc. Learning and appreciating differences helps everyone in the long run.

How to Become a Certified Visual Judge

DrillMasterAsk DrillMaster, Drill Teams, DrillCenter News, Honor Guard, Instructional 2 Comments

The World Drill Association and DrillMaster now offer a training and certification program for judges for the military drill world. All aspects of military drill come under the visual category and should be judged as such. That is where the program comes in. There are four visual captions:

1. Overall Effect
2. Composition Analysis
3. Movement
4. Equipment

Also a judging position, but not a caption is:

5. Timing and Penalties

To become a certified judge, here is what you have to do (this is all at your own speed):

1. Purchase The WDA Adjudication Manual
2. Read it
3. Pick a caption on which you would like to concentrate and get certification and study it over and over
4. Study that caption, begin watching videos on the internet of teams and solos and make commentaries based on your caption on that video (use your computer to record yourself- yes everyone’s voice sounds strange to them- but you need to be able to talk about your caption during a performance!)
5. Use the WDA score sheet for your caption to score that performance
6. Repeat steps 3 through 5
7. During your study, submit your commentaries to get feedback for necessary improvements, if needed
8. When you think you are ready, you will be given a short multiple-choice test and also shown several preselected videos in which you must make a commentary and give scores
9. When you pass, you will be given a certificate that says you are a certified WDA Judge for the caption you chose, you then have the option to repeat the steps above for each caption

When you have been certified, it will be time to obtain Continuing Education for the WDA Judge. This book takes you through a more in-depth study of ranking and rating.

When do you want to be a certified judge? It’s mostly up to you. How long will it take? At least six months of study and practice. Can I do it quicker? Probably not. There is no immediate short cut: Study. Practice. Repeat.

So then what? The WDA already has some drill meets where the adjudication system is used, is always looking to add more competitions and will be sponsoring competitions in each state. As more judges are certified and word spreads of real feedback being given to performers, more competitions will want to use certified judges. It will all take time.

The plan is to have groups of the WDA Adjudication Corps in each state with judge coordinators and trainers.

Are you a veteran? The WDA and DrillMaster have developed the Veteran Adjudication Program. The only difference from then above information is that, with sponsorship, the books will be free.

 

Regarding Colors

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Colors (meaning a color guard or, more precisely named, colors team), are a little different today than a few years ago, the honor guard standard is being used everywhere you look and, in my opinion, this is a very good thing: soon to be gone are the days of a color team unceremoniously stomping through a formal dinner setting or having the commander give multiple commands for the color bearers and rifle guards plus some other relatively annoying parochial issues.

Color Bearer Port Arms

The picture here depicts the position of Port Arms for a color bearer. The flagstaff does not have to be in the cup when marching- however, Port is only used for short distances and almost always indoors when the ceiling height is too low to carry at Right Shoulder (Right Shoulder for a color bearer is when the staff is in the harness cup and the right hand is at Attention).

The manual of arms (for colors), the manual of the ceremonial fire axe and the manual of the ceremonial pike pole all mirror each other and are intended to be used along with colors.

The manual of the flagstaff and the modified manual of arms, fire axe and pole for colors are completely described with pictures for each movement in The Honor Guard Manual.

On a side note, the World Drill Association will use the standards of The Honor Guard Manual for different phases of competition at WDA-sanctioned/sponsored drill meets. The future looks bright and fun!

The Six-Man Flag Fold

DrillMasterHonor Guard, Instructional Leave a Comment

I’ll begin with this statement: Just because the word, “man” is in the title does not necessarily mean, “male”.

There is a right way and a wrong way to fold the American flag and there re a couple of different ways in between. to learn how to do it the right way, pick up my latest book, The Honor Guard Manual.

Until you get the book, here are some tips:

1. When beginning, the flag should lay flat so that the canton (blue field with stars) would be over the left shoulder of the deceased; if the flag were tilted toward the audience, it would be the right way up, with the canton in the upper left corner as it is viewed.

2. After making the first horizontal fold, the canton should be on the underside of the flag- the canton goes back to the same place where it started. After the second horizontal fold, the canton is brought back to the same place again.

3. The first triangle fold is open end to open end. If one looks on from the end of the flag, the fold is to the viewer’s right. This is the ONLY way to make this fold! See this article’s picture, above.

4. Ensure that the tuck of the folded flag does not create lumps.

Obviously, there is more to a flag fold than the above four points. Again, the Two- and Six-Man Flag Folds are completely details in my book. Also, look for training videos to come on my Youtube Channel, DrillMasterTraining.

Sword Maintenace and Care

DrillMasterDrillCenter News, Instructional 6 Comments

While stationed in Germany from ’07-’10, I had the chance to visit WKC sword makers in Solingen, Germany. I never could coordinate a good time to stop by to say hello and meet some sword makers. They don’t give factory tours anymore since their processes were being stolen and (unsuccessfully) copied by other companies.

This is their info for caring for swords, sabers and accessories:

Ceremonial Use and Safety:

– WKC swords and sabers are intended for ceremonial use only.

– Blade tips are relatively sharp; exercise care during use.

– The blades are not designed for impact and “fighting.” While forged, tempered, and designed for flexibility and durability, ceremonial blades lack the toughness to withstand the heavy impact of “blade-to-blade” contact.

– Do not use ceremonial swords for re-enactment fighting.

– Horseplay may result in damage to the sword or, worse yet, personal injury.

– Sword and saber manual of arms is a developed and practiced skill. Do not be flamboyant when handling a drawn sword.

– Children tend to have a natural fascination with swords and often mistake a ceremonial sword for a weapon. Supervise children closely and know that the misuse of a sword is dangerous.

General – Metal Components:
-Acids from fingerprints can react with metals and discolor metal components over time.

– Salts and other air contaminants (e.g., formaldehydes form carpets, etc.) can collect on metal surfaces over time and can also cause discoloration.

– Water or humidity can affect all parts of the swords and accessories. They should be kept away from wet or humid conditions. In case the swords or accessories get wet please dry them properly by using soft dry cloth.

– Periodically, wipe your sword or accessories with a soft, dry cloth. We recommend monthly for harsh environments (e.g., high humidity, proximity to sea air, cities with heavy smog, etc.) and every few months for less harsh environments. Do not use any chemical based or other cleaners for belts or sword knots.

– Remove fingerprints and other oil marks with a soft, dry cloth.

Gold-Colored Components:

– Gold is very soft metal. Rubbing or polishing gold-plated materials will take off the gold-plating.

– Do not use abrasive metal polishes or metal wool on any gold-colored part. All gold-colored parts on WKC swords are gold-plated. All gold-colored parts on WKC swords and accessories are gold-plated.

– Use a soft dry cloth and common glass cleaner to remove any discolorations. Use abrasive “jeweler” cloths sparingly to remove any discolorations to avoid rubbing off the gold plating.

Blades:

– All WKC blades are stainless steel.

– Discolorations or minor scratches can be removed with a “jeweler” cloth or a mild metal polish, such as a silver polish.

– Remove all polish residue with a final wipe of a soft, dry cloth.

– Never use heavy abrasive polishes, scouring pads, or metal wool as they will the polished finish of the blade.

– Avoid contact with acidic or alkaline substances as either may chemically react with metals in the stainless steel.

Scabbards:

– Leather scabbards should only require an occasional wipe with a cloth moistened with a clear household silicon spray polish.

– Scuff marks in the leather can usually be repaired or hidden with ordinary shoe polish. Pay attention of that the color of the polish is the same than the leather.

– Maintain nickel-plated scabbards as a general metal component.

– Maintain the stainless-steel Marine officer scabbards as described for blades above.

Accessories:

– Periodically, wipe your accessories with a soft dry cloth. We recommend monthly for harsh environments (e.g. high humidity, proximity to sea air, cities with heavy smog etc.) and every few months for less harsh environments. Do not use any chemical or other cleaners for belts or sword knots.

On-Going Care and Maintenance:

– After each use, completely wipe the sword with a clean, dry cloth to remove fingerprints, perspiration, and any residue.

-All ferrous materials, including “stainless” steel will rust in varying degrees if not maintained and with prolonged exposure to the elements.

-Whether displaying or storing your sword, periodically clean and wipe your sword and metal scabbards with a lightly oiled cloth to protect your sword.

-Please do not store the swords and accessories in the vacuum plastic bag in wet, humid or hot surroundings.

– We recommend storing the sword unsheathed from the scabbard if storing for prolonged periods of time.

– If shipping or transporting your sword by air, securely wrap the sword in plastic to minimize condensation on the cool sword surfaces after the sword returns from the cooler high altitudes.

www.wkc-solingen.de

Dipping the American Flag

DrillMasterCommentary, DrillCenter News, Honor Guard, Instructional 6 Comments

I read this short article that was sent to me by a retired Marine friend of mine:

The 1908 Summer Olympics were held in London, England were extremely controversial. Many of the medals were won by Irish and Irish-American athletes who were not only members of the Irish American Athletic Club of Celtic Park in Sunnyside, Queens, but also members of the New York City Police Department. Ian McGowan, Archivist for CUNY’s Institute for Irish-American Studies is currently creating an exhibit of the Club’s trophies, photographs,and other ephemera, including vintage trading cards celebrating the feats of athletes such as John Flanagan, Johnny Hayes, Pat McDonald, Martin Sheridan and Matt McGrath, collectively known as “The Irish Whales.”

During the “Parade of Nations,” it was a customary for teams to dip their nation’s flags as a show of respect for the ruling monarch of t he host country. Martin J. Sheridan, a Discus thrower, born in 1881 in County Mayo, Ireland was part of the American Olympic team. Sheridan immigrated to New York in 1901 and joined the NYPD in 1906. Patrolman Sheridan held a grudge against the English because he believed that they helped make the Irish potato famine so bad. Members of the Olympic committee knowing his dislike for the English replaced Sheridan – who was scheduled to carry the American flag – with Ralph Rose as bearer of the flag.

Irish-Americans had a strong sense of patriotic pride to their new found country. NYPD Patrolman Mathew McGrath at 6’2″, 245 pounds was a hammer thrower and native of County Tipperary, born in 1878. As the Americans approached the Royal Box, McGrath broke ranks and stepped up to the American flag bearer – Rose – and said, “Dip our flag and you will be in a hospital tonight.”

The flag was not dipped which caused an international incident. During a news conference, Sheridan spoke for the entire Olympic team; he pointed to the American flag and said, “This flag dips to no earthly king.” That precedent was set which is still followed today during the Olympic Games. The American Flag has never been dipped to anyone since that day in 1908. In fact, the United States Flag Code was officially changed to read, “No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing.” (See Title 4, United States Code, Chapter 1 § 8) In 1924 Olympics McGrath earned the silver medal…at the age of 45. During his police career McGrath attained the rank of Inspector, and was awarded the NYPD’s Medal of Valor twice. Inspector McGrath died in January of 1941.

Martin Sheridan attained first place on the eligibility list for the NYPD and was appointed to the ‘finest’ in 1906. He helped organize the Police Carnival and Games for the benefit of the welfare fund of the Department which, for many years, was an outstanding athletic event in New York.

To perpetuate his name for the future generations the Martin J. Sheridan Award for Valor was established and given each year to a member of the Police Department for bravery above and beyond the call of duty. Sheridan, a First Grade Detective died of pneumonia in 1918 while while working a double shift for a sick NYPD colleague on March 25 at the age of thirty-seven and is buried in Calvary Cemetery, Woodside, Queens.

And now the 2012 Olympics and this issue.

Tulane 2012 Solo Commentaries

DrillMasterCommentary, Drill Teams, Instructional Leave a Comment

The Mardis Gras Drill Meet at Tulane University 2012 was a great success! I was there judging solos. There were 12 competitors and all did a great job. The cadets from West Point, University of South Carolina NROTC and Norwich all pulled away from the others with great routines. I forgot my digital voice recorder, but used my Android phone’s voice recorder and it worked extremely well! However, there was one issue: dead battery by the last routine. No problem, a young lady from Norwich University was able to step up with her Android phone and let me use her voice recorder for Preston Huntington’s routine. That’s why you only see 11 of the commentaries.

It was great to see not only the solos, but with the big breaks in between the performances, some platoon XD performances as well. Some of the schools displayed variations in timing and step style and showed a concerted effort in programing and orientation (nicely done USAFA!!).

The great thing about Tulane this year was the introduction of the World Drill Association Adjudication System as a parallel to the standard judging system used. Solos were given the opportunity to hear professional adjudication feedback

I also enjoyed speaking with the teams, soloists, parents and instructors as well as some of the great Marine judges from Paris Island.

The day was also a good learning experience. Right Mr. Waddington? :-)

Below are the links to the commentaries (automatic download).

Tulane: http://www.mediafire.com/?lua9e9vf8ecq120

Citidel 2: http://www.mediafire.com/?6qa9m3vm9c72x89

USMMA: http://www.mediafire.com/?qr3bd5dcxq5cbaq

TAMU: http://www.mediafire.com/?e5eucaapndscc7k

UT Austin 2: http://www.mediafire.com/?lejm7e4kgmgede4

UT Austin 1: http://www.mediafire.com/?uy08jqjhbjqjxgc

West Point: http://www.mediafire.com/?tc4d342v922ijtf

University of Florida: http://www.mediafire.com/?dvimvvujbrj9ry3

University of South Carolina: http://www.mediafire.com/?7yt574wco0ox2zw

Citidel 1: http://www.mediafire.com/?t38b1tqhcbhyce2

Licensing Music for Performances

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No matter what kind of performance you do, if it is to music and someone else wrote it, you need a license if you want to record and/or broadcast the performance. So, what is a Driller to do? This is where Copycat Licensing comes in. They will take care of everything for you, but you need to give them time! Here is the webs site, check it, bookmark it and use it when you want to explore drill and music!http://www.copycatlicensing.com/

Eyes Right for a Color Guard

DrillMasterAsk DrillMaster, Honor Guard, Instructional 4 Comments

 

Click here for info on “Color Guard” vs. “Color Team.”

The Question:
Hello, I’m in an Army JROTC and I have a Federal Inspection coming up. I’m doing the color guard for the AFI and I wondering on what to do during eyes, right. Do I salute the rifle like this picture? Or do I just look to the right and keep marching and it’s just only the flag saluting? If you could reply back to me, I’d appreciate it.
Thank you very much

The Answer:
What a great picture you’ve found! Judging by the uniform, you’ve found a WWI-era Manual of Arms picture, possibly a Boy Scout maybe a Soldier. I really enjoy the history of how certain movements came about that we use today.

The position in the picture is an individual salute while at Right Shoulder. The Army, Marine Corps, and Navy all used to use this type of salute while at either shoulder or Order. Now, only the Marines, Navy and Coast Guard use these individual salutes. The Army ceased using them decades ago. The salutes are not used in formation or while marching, only as an individual while standing still (think of reporting to the formation commander while armed). As we all know, the right forearm should be horizontal and not at an angle like in the picture.

Eyes Right
The Command, Eyes, RIGHT is called at Right Shoulder as two consecutive right steps hit the marching surface. When the next left foot strikes the ground, the following happens all at the same time:

  1. (Army and AF) The Left Rifle Guard, all non-national Color Bearers and National Color Bearer all turn their heads 45-degrees to the right; the Right Rifle Guard looks straight ahead.

(MC, N, & CG) The Left Rifle Guard, all non-national Color Bearers turn their heads 45-degrees to the right; the National Color Bearer and Right Rifle Guard look straight ahead.

  1. (Regulation Drill- all services) The non-national Color Bearer brings his/her color to a 45-degree angle be fully extending the right arm in one count/step after the command.

(Ceremonial Drill- Honor Guard Units only) The non-national Color Bearer brings his/her color to a 45-degree angle be fully extending the right arm in the three counts/steps after the command. Whipping the color forward in one count does present a ceremonial image.

Ready Front
On the command, Ready, FRONT, the team snaps its heads back to looking straight forward and the non-national color bearer bring their color back to vertical in one (regulation drill) or three (ceremonial drill) counts/steps.

M1 Garand Reimportation from Korea to the USA

DrillMasterInstructional Leave a Comment

This has been a big issue and yet it has remained relatively behind the scenes.

From 2010:http://neveryetmelted.com/2010/08/19/obama-administration-blocks-import-of-korean-surplus-garands-and-m1-carbines/

If this goes through Drillers, hunters, collectors and gun enthusiasts will benefit tremendously.

You can read the latest full story here:http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2012/01/116_103154.html.