DrillMaster explains a different approach to the problem of drill team practice attendance and recruiting.
The Military Hand Salute
This article originally published on Dec 30, 2014 under the title, When in Doubt, Salute! This is the second update and rearrangement of information to help everyone understand this subject better. How to Salute The services have slightly different techniques. One technique is followed by the Army and Air Force. The middle finger is placed on the corner of the …
JROTC, ROTC and More!
This page is the culmination of hours of research to bring information on all of the cadet programs available American youth. If youknow of yet another program, please let me know and I will add their information. JROTC Programs (in joint service order) JROTC stand for Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps and is a high school program sponsored by each …
Color in a Color Guard
You may think that this is an oxymoron, of course there is color in a color guard- the team carried flags, hello! However, let’s look a little closer at some specifics. High schools have a school song, motto, and even school colors. Those colors can really enhance rifles: yellow tape used to make stripes on a black rifle stock or …
Putting Things into Perspective
“We won!” Those words are great to hear and sometimes even better to yell. I knew the feeling of “winning” at drill meets throughout my four years of high school AFJROTC; my team swept every meet and so did I as the team’s commander for my last two years. It was hard work, fun and I learned quite a bit. …
Romeoville High School JROTC Drill Meet
Yes, I did. I drove from Melbourne, FL to Romeoville, IL to judge a drill meet. Seriously. I love to do what I do and Don Dunning asked me if I would come up and judge about a week and a half before the competition. My answer: “Sure!” And now it’s over with, but it was such a great day! …
Keep Drilling
By DrillMaster Guest Writer: C/CSM Daira M. Padilla Charles H. Milby High School JROTC 4th BN It’s 4:00 in the afternoon, drill team practice started at 3:30, “can we get a water break?” asks one of the drill team members. “You sure can…NOT!” states the commander. The Charles H. Milby High School drill teams have an upcoming competition, the goal: …
Beating a Performance Plateau with New and Improved!
Do you know why products are constantly puting new labels on them with words like: “NEW!” or “NEW and IMPROVED!” Comfort. We become comfortable with the things we have or use and we may be happy with using XYZ dish washing liquid for the rest of our lives, but the advertisers want to make sure you can’t live without it! …
Astronaut War Eagle Drill Meet Performance Critiques
Astronaut High School’s Army JROTC hosted the 2015 War Eagle Drill Meet at their school in Titusville, FL on the 21st of February. I judged Unarmed Squad, used a new score sheet as a trial and recorded my usual commentary as the performances progressed. These recordings are standard in pageantry arts with music and visual judges giving feedback. My recordings …
Drill Teams and Honor Guards: Considering Your Hands
Competitive drill is very much a different world than the drill and ceremonies that are taught in America’s military services, unless one is part of a specialized unit. Even in JROTC, the drill taught to each class during the school day, is not to as high a standard as the competitive drill teams and color teams (why, “Color Teams“?). Minute …