One of the recurring problems on Air Force installations is the unintentional transfer of ceremonial drill into environments where regulation drill is the governing standard. It usually begins innocently.
The Difference Between Land and Sea Services and Carrying State Colors
A realization finally clicked for me while responding to a Navy JROTC color guard issue.
The team presented the colors with the National Color, the state flag, and the Navy departmental flag. On the surface, many people would look at that and think, “That seems reasonable. National, state, service. What is the problem?” The problem is not simply the order of precedence. The problem is authority.
Cadets, Why Not Carry The Departmental Color?
Cadets should not carry the departmental color, what the Army calls the Ceremonial Color, the 4’4”x5’6” or organizational 3’x4’ color with the official (copyrighted) symbol of the military service. Let’s get into why this is a standard that is little known.
What Are Drill Meet Judges Looking For?
So, just what are judges looking for? In general, they don’t know. Drill meet judges are not trained, they are briefed about an hour before the competition. Some get their briefing a day prior. It’s still a briefing, it’s not training since no one involved has enough time to readily digest and process the new information and then practice applying the info. This includes drill meets that I’ve run.
Earning Your Position
Each year I have JROTC cadets contact me about issues they see in their unit and how to address them. One of those issues is putting random cadets into different leadership positions like the guidon bearer for the class.
When Does the Commander Move to Port From Sling and Back?
Recently, I received a question that deserves to be an article. This happens constantly and is part of what I have called Filling in the Gaps. While I have been made fun of for using that term, there will always be someone with a question. They have a gap in their knowledge and are seeking to fill it.
The Bad JROTC Color Guard Routine
JROTC does not have consistency or uniformity for the most part. While there are some adequate routines for competitions, none of them really employ all of the skills required for a colors presentation. Some of the routines out there do not make sense and others have commands that do not exist. Speaking of which.
“Every Honor Guard Invents Their Own Standards”
Quoted from an AFROTC cadet. A cadet who is going to commission into the USAF/USSF. The quote was relayed to me. If the above statement is true, then writing AFMAN 34-515 (the USAF Honor Guard manual) culminated in several years of wasted of time and abuse of resources. Standards are written and applied to uphold laws and regulations and avoid …
2023 Alabama State JROTC Drill Meet Performance Audio Critiques
It was a beautiful day at Jacksonville State University for the state drill championship. I had the pleasure of overseeing color guard and I again did my DrillMaster Performance Critiques for the Unarmed Color Guard category. Here are the MP3 files for you to download. Bob Jones Buckhorn Columbia Enterprise Gadsden Hillcrest Huntsville Lee New Century Murphy Pell City Ramsey …
No School JROTC or CAP Program?
No problem! The “Military Club” can help.