You can submit your questions to Dr. Drill via e-mail to : DrDrill@CadetStuff.org.

Dr. Drill. A new tech sergeant has come into our squadron. He is a very experienced drill kind of guy and told our flight sergeant that he was calling halt on the wrong foot. Our flight sergeant called it on the right, while the tech sergeant told him that he should call it on the left. Who is right?

Sincerely ID10T

Dear One Delta Ten Tango,

You're not the knucklehead here. He is. He gets the name "1D10T," not you. To quote the Holy Writ of Lackland:

"3.10.2. To halt from quick time, the command is Flight, HALT, given as either foot strikes the ground. On the command HALT, the airman will take one more 24-inch step. Next, the trailing foot will be brought smartly alongside the front foot. The heels will be together, on line, and form a 45-degree angle. Coordinated arm swing will cease as the weight of the body shifts to the leading foot when halting." (emphasis mine)

Your Tech Sergeant doesn't have a leg to stand on, so to speak. Ha, hahah, hah.. er, uh, OK.

Halts (either at quicktime, mark time, half-step or double-time) may be called on either foot. As near as Dr. Drill can tell, there are no circumstances where a specific foot is required for a halt.

"Right, halt, left-about, parade rest, to the rear, march..."

La, la, la, la....

Dr. Drill