“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! …
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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: …
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 …
Exhibition Drill Application Levels
Performance Measurements There are five standard levels (“Boxes”) with corresponding number grades and definitions for each box that the World Drill Association Adjudication System grades, for each class: Junior, A and Open. The labels for each box represent the achievement of the performance: Seldom, Rarely, Sometimes, Frequently and Constantly. For WDA World Class, there is a sixth box which is labeled, …
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 …
How to Restart a JROTC Drill Team
I received this question over the summer of 2014. It is always relevant, though! Question: I’m a freshmen going into my sophomore year, also to my let 2 year in JROTC. I was wondering if you can give me tips and/or advice for starting up an exhibition team. Because in my freshmen year, at my school’s drill meet, I conducted …
How Drops Affect Scoring
Many Drillers who I have had the pleasure to meet over the last few years have talked with me about drops (when the equipment leaves the Driller’s hands completely- not on purpose) or hits (when the equipment leaves the Driller’s hand but is immediately recovered- also not on purpose) and how they affect scoring. Usually the thinking is a hit …
Ask DrillMaster- About WDA Adjudication System
Question: From Zachary: Random question about your score system- I know one section of it is labeled “equipment,” does that involve just the weapon or the uniform as well? Answer: “Equipment” is the catch-all term for flag, rifle, sword/saber and guidon. There is at least one unarmed team that used their hats during their performance as a piece of equipment. …
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