Brass in Pocket

Encampment time again, when a young Cadet's fancy turns to thoughts of love! Well, your thoughts have turned to love: your flight sergeant is a total hottie. There you are standing in formation with the rest of your flight. Your flight sergeant is having a little pow-wow with a couple other flight sergeants and has apparently forgotten that you are at the position of attention. Woops! Well, as the first element leader, it's your job to bring up the oversight to the object of your infatuation: Sergeant Smith. So, you raise your right hand and yell in a voice sure to get attention - and to show the depth of your feelings, "Sergeant Smith!"

Sergeant Smith glances casually over an attractive shoulder, revealing a perfect profile, and yells back, "Flight, AT EASE" and turns back to the conversation.

Ah, bliss! You were noticed by the world's most attractive Cadet NCO! You sigh happily and dream about the mixer while you continue to wait.

A few moments more and Sergeant Smith returns, calls the flight to attention and turns you to the right into column formation. "GUIDE RIGHT" you hear in those dulcet tones you find so endearing and the guide assumes position in front of the third element leader.

You know what that means! Your heart skips a beat as Sergeant Smith assumes a position next to you facing in the direction of the march. The next thing you hear is that wonderful voice breathing practically in your ear, "Forward, MARCH".

Woops! But all is not well. Apparently the rear of the flight didn't hear the command. There is an odd accordion affect as the front half of the flight steps out immediately and then the rear of the flight rushes to catch up, then compacts and then stretches to resume normal distance. Eventually, the unnatural motion ceases and the flight settles into some semblance of marching. Sergeant Smith is calling cadence and all is right with the world.

But you grit your teeth in frustration at the embarrassment your element - and the other elements - have caused you. The last thing you want to happen is for Sergeant Smith to be unhappy! You resolve to take this up with your people as soon as you get a chance.

You've barely begun pointing out the various shortcomings of your people and their relatives, ancestors and pets going back fourteen generations when this one troublemaker in the back drags out the D&C manual and says, "I think we would have been okay if Sergeant Smith had been following the manual."

Blasphemer! How dare one of the troops question the tasty and flawless Sergeant Smith. You reach out and snatch the D&C manual, pausing for a glare at the offending Cadet as you begin reading where the Cadet is pointing.

To your horror, you find the Cadet is right!

Oh, cruel fate!

The unit commander should face his unit at all times when giving drill commands; except when providing supplemental commands: these are given over the right shoulder. The unit commander should always be at the position of attention when giving commands.

Sergeant Smith's initial mistake was calling a drill command over one shoulder clearly not at a position of attention. Ideally, Sergeant Smith would have appointed a temporary flight sergeant. At the very least, Sergeant Smith should have returned to the proper three pace position on the flight and put them at ease. Not facing the unit and not standing at attention are actually two problems in one.

Sergeant Smith is not a total loss however, as the flight was turned into column formation before marching off. Sergeant Smith also gains points for understanding the proper use and form of the 'GUIDE RIGHT' command (repositioning the guide with respect to the formation).

However, stepping to the front of the flight and attempting to lead drill from the front is not only against the manual, it doesn't make any sense because the Cadets at the rear of the flight clearly can't hear the drill commands. Ideally, when the unit is on the march the commander should take position at least at the middle and probably toward the rear of the unit.

Note, however, that for a pass in review, the commander does assume a position at the front of the flight. In this case the flight commander is issuing supplemental commands, which are given over the right shoulder.

Also, when the manual states that the unit commander should be at attention at all times, it means on the march in addition to at the halt. When marching, the phrase 'at attention' means marching in step with cadence. Therefore, the unit commander should be in step with his unit when giving drill commands on the march.

Sir Mix-A-Lot...

Swallowing your disappointment at this grievous flaw in your beloved, you resolve to take this up with Sergeant Smith. If you handle this correctly, you'll seem intelligent and tactful and might get an opportunity to arrange a date for the mixer.

Hope springs eternal!