If you’d like to read my critique of the American Air Force’s Honor Guard Drill Team 2012 routine, go to their YouTube channel. If you have any questions or comments about the critique, fire away! DrillMaster Do you have a video you would like critiqued by The DrillMaster? Then please send an email!
Regarding a Driller’s Bearing
Some Driller colleagues of mine tried to put together a list of what one might consider the “basics” of drill. However, this title brings Standing Manual, marching and even the manual of arms to mind. So, “basics” as the title does not work to fully describe this attempt. ”Bearing” however, does. From Thesaurus.com: Main Entry: bearing Part of Speech: noun …
JSDC12 Recordings!
After weeks of wrestling with a software problem, I finally figured out the problem and Voila! Here are the Overall Effect commentaries I made for the Joint Service Drill Competition (Meet) of 2012. Merchant Marine Academy Silent Drill Team Coast Guard Drill Team Navy Silent Drill Team Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon Air Force Drill Team Army Silent Drill Team Download, listen, …
Does a Drill Rifle Type Matter?
Hypothetical situation (yet common): “Well we use M1 Grands and ours weigh 15lbs.” Oh. Really? That would be Garand, named after the man who created the rifle, Canadian-born, John Cantius Garand. For some reason some Drillers think that the heavier the rifle is, the better a Driller you are. This is simply not true. All rifles, including 2lb color guard …
“Stand Still Laddy!”
That’s a line from Pink Floyd’s song, The Wall. And it fits perfectly. Judges: stop moving around the drill pad! Why? It’s distracting to the audience- which is not a main concern, but is part of the consideration. There are macro and micro moves a Driller can perform and if you are constantly moving around, you will miss those subtleties. …
How to Execute Carry Arms
This is the safest way to carry an unloaded or replica rifle. Everyone needs to adopt this carry right away- Port Arms is not the way to transport a rifle unless you are in formation and there isn’t anyone around. Carry Arms is a move executed while carrying a a rifle, fire axe or pike pole. This is the safest …
Drill Move Levels and Move Definitions
One of the subjects that the World Drill Association Adjudication Manual and Rule Book teaches Drillers, instructors and judges about drill is performance levels: Basic/Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced and Standard-Setting. To achieve these levels a Driller’s or team’s drill must be described using these terms as well. What does basic, Intermediate or advanced drill look like? It’s mostly a mater of …
Amazing, Wonderful, Fantastic!
During Creation Week, our Lord said each day’s work was “good.” He then said that the whole of creation was, “very good.” We however, have to dream up all kinds of words to describe how well we or others do. When one describes a volunteer staff and the drill team’s performance both as “amazing” when there is enormous room for …
Does Drill Team Style Matter to Win?
Q: I am the coach of a High school in MA and former captain of the armed drill team. Northeast drill seems to vary drastically from other parts of the country. We are a bit slower with more emphasis on military bearing, style and flavor, than much of the speedy Texas style drilling. Is this us not being with the …
Why “Equipment”
Why do I use the term “equipment” and not just say “rifle”? Good question; here’s the answer. When I was writing my second book, The World Drill Association Adjudication Manual and Rule Book, I quickly found that I had a slight dilemma. When I came to write the section for the judge who judges armed routines, I realized that I …