Resilience

From BG Garaci, my NMMI brother and President of Missouri Military Academy. I cannot help but share his message. Dear MMA alumni and friends, On January 21, I addressed the corps at Vespers, our weekly non-denominational service focused on self-reflection, personal and spiritual growth held in Memorial Chapel. During my address, I reflected on my recent recovery from the serious injury and…

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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. JROTC units have several classes throughout the day and each class is considered a company or squadron even though the numbers are only around 30. With that, the class/company…

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The Joint Military/First Responder Funeral

I speak with law enforcement officers and firefighters around the country on all matters of drill and ceremonies. This crops up every so often and needs to be addressed. Three percent of Americans serve in the military. Many of those who serve get out after their initial four years, maybe another tour, or they stay for 20. After that, some go into law enforcement or become firefighters. The…

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Responding To Your Own Commands

Commanders for Parade Staff, Flag Detail, and Color Guard, do not come to Attention (from Parade Rest) to call their formation to Attention. This article is for every branch of the US military and all cadets. The commander, in all three instances, is part of the formation and does not move independently of the other members of the formation. This is for uniformity. Parade Staff This is a sample…

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Historic USMC Commands and Marching

In this clip from the 1962 TV show “I’ve Got a Secret”, Jonathan Winters marches a small platoon of Marines around the stage before the game show commences. We can learn a little bit from this: “Harch” was used by every service at least during the WWII era and for a few years after. “Oblique” was pronounced properly at one time. Read here for more. Commands were called when marching in just…

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Fl Public Service Assoc. Cadet Honor Guard Competition

What a great day! Too bad other schools don’t join in on the learning! Atlantic Community High School LEO High School Pinellas High School San Volusia High School San Volusia High School (I pressed stop instead of pause, this is the rest) West FL High School

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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 Question [edited- DM] DrillMaster, during the Armed Squad sequence, the team marches at…

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Checking Formation Alignment in a Competition

You’re at a JROTC competition, your team is entering the regulation drill phase, you march on, report-in, go through some standing manual, and then Open Ranks, MARCH is next, but there is a problem. This sequence list says “Commander, do not check alignment”. What does the commander do? Let’s flesh this out and see how ridiculous the statement is to forbid the commander from at least going…

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FL CAP Colors Competition Critique MP3s

It was a beautiful morning at Patrick Space Force Base! Click on the links below to download each DrillMaster Audio Performance Critique file. Brandon Homestead Lake Pines Tamiami

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"Cherry Picking"

I’ve been told twice in two days that I “cherry pick” information. In one instance it was purely an insult, but it came from an adult who doesn’t like accuracy or the truth. The second time came from a college level cadet who thought the two USAF D&C standards and who is authorized to follow them, doesn’t make sense. Let’s break this down. Accuracy There are three drill and ceremonies manuals…

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Proper Technique For the Platoon Commander

Here is the situation: The regulation drill sequence for a platoon. The commander, three steps away from and centered on the platoon in Line Formation, gives the following commands: CommandThe CommanderLeft StepRight StepLeft FaceStands FastRight StepMarches Backward at Half StepAbout FaceStands FastForward MarchSteps off with a Face-In-March to the left The team performs the commands as…

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Maestro de Ejercicios

That is “DrillMaster” in Spanish (Master of Training/Drill/Practice). I will be writing for Spanish-only speakers since I have been asked for more articles and social media posts in Spanish over the years. Not every one of my articles here or social media posts will be translated, but what I feel as relevant to just about anyone, I will post in Spanish as well as English. My books will be…

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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. This is a photo sent to me of a colors routine for a local JROTC competition. The…

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The History of Fringe

Theories abound about the flag, the fringe, the finial, and even the direction the flag is displayed. It’s a but ridiculous. Having said that, there may be some tiny bit of truth to admiralty law being represented by fringe, maybe. Still, knowledge of history is going to be our friend and help us understand what fantasy is and what is truth. Let’s start here. In the Beginning… Fringe originated…

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A Study on Present Arms with a Rifle

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A Flag is a Flag is a Flag

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The Redundancy of State Orders for Half-Staff Flags: A Clarification for Governors

Introduction When the President of the United States orders the American flag to be flown at half-staff, it serves as a directive for federal buildings and grounds across the nation. This article aims to clarify for state governors the redundancy of issuing separate orders for the same purpose. Federal Authority and Nationwide Impact The President’s authority to order the flag to half-staff is…

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