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 …
The DrillMaster JROTC Competition Study Sheet
This is a beginning for you, it is not the be-all and end-all of study sheets. Use it or take it and modify it and use that. Whatever you do, you need to be prepared for your inspection and have answers at the ready. Actually, your response and not just the answer itself, is more of your grade. Download the …
Two Ways to Execute About Face
There are about five ways to execute About Face, but for this brief study, we will concentrate on the two ways to execute About Face to be within your service’s regulation drill and ceremonies manual, what I call The Straight Leg Method, where the knee is more or less locked throughout the movement and the right foot travels in a circular …
Cocoa Beach Drill Meet Color Team DrillMaster Performance Critiques
My first time being able to judge Color Team (Color Guard) and use my audio commentary technique for the teams! There was a big learning curve for the cadets and most were appreciative. In no particular order: (click to listen to or download the MP3 file) MIHS Female MIHS Male Cocoa Beach Female LET1 Cocoa Beach Female Cocoa Beach Male …
Manuals for Teaching Regulation Drill for Each Service!
You can’t very well take your service’s drill and ceremonies manual outside with you and train from that- but training from the source is the best thing to do. How can you get around this obstacle to teaching? Announcing the publishing of DrillMaster’s Color Team Coach’s Field Manual. Yes, for the field! Take it with you in your pocket, it …
January: Drill Season is Here!
While some JROTC units have a busy first semester that includes drill meets, for many across America January is when the competitions begin. Some states, like Florida, do not have any drill meets until the end of January, leaving the first semester to Raider meets. Maybe, like the school where I teach, Merritt Island High School, you have been having …
The Difference Between Training, Practice, and Rehearsal
It may seem strange, even silly, to define practice, training and rehearsal down to the “nth” degree. Always remember, “Education is key!” Note: there are JROTC units that do not have the luxury of an experienced drill coach. Many JROTC instructors have never marched much past their Basic Training or Boot Camp days and that’s OK. Our military jobs came first …
How to Restart a JROTC Drill Team
DrillMaster answers a cadet’s question on restarting her school’s JROTC drill team
A Graph of Military Drill
A Graph of Military Drill Over the years, I’ve been asked by high school students for information on drill teams so that they could write speeches, research papers or something similar. This article is just another step in that direction. See also, What is a Military Drill Team? ,The Seven Parts of an Exhibition Drill Routine and Where’s the Power? plus many more. This …
Drill is Life! Or is it?
We can put, dance, color guard, music, skateboarding, surfing, skiing, wrestling, etc. in the place of “DRILL”, below. All of the words that are in bold all capitals, are a fairly standard saying or at least thought process. I DRILL In different ways, thousands of people “drill”: honor guard units, JROTC cadets, etc. and for many, it is an activity that …