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Half-baked Half Face...

Dr. Drill

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

Doctor Drill,

Is there such things as a half left and half right face still in existence in the United States Air Force Drill in Ceremonies manual?

I just moved to Florida and this is the first time I've heard of that.

Matthew S. Wandell,
C/CMSgt, C.A.P.
Cadet Deputy Commander FL-423

Dr. Drill Responds

Dear Matthew,

Welcome to a Wing that does all the drill maneuvers. Florida sure has a strong cadet program, eh?! Apparently, they have read paragraph 3.4.3 of the AFMAN 36-2203. It goes like this:

"3.4.3. Half Right (Left) Face. When instructions are given for 45-degree movements, the command Half Right (Left), FACE may be used. The procedures described in paragraph 3.4.1 are used except each person executes the movement by facing 45 degrees to the right or left."

Having read that paragraph, you might think, "Gee, Dr. Drill... it just says the command may be used..." what else can I do?

Well, my dear Michael, if a Half Left Face is desired, and you really don't want to give the command Half Left, FACE... you could always give your flight an About, FACE, followed by a Right, FACE, then a Half Right, FACE. This would achieve the same result, plus your cadets would have the added bonus of nausea and dizziness! Sound like fun? Sure! Of course, you realize that this is NOT the point of drill and ceremonies, and you crumple up and throw away the script for this hair-brained idea.

OK... I know what you're thinking. "Well, Dr. Drill... I can see now that I've opened my manual that the command is in there, but why, oh, WHY, Dr. Drill, would anyone give this command?" Well, that's a good question! Looks like you're getting TWO Dr. Drill answers for the price of ONE! How lucky can one Cadet Chief Master Sergeant GET?

Here's one use for the Half Right (Left) Face command. Let's say you're in a large formation at encampment, and you're doing physical conditioning. (Some call it PT - short for either Physical Training or Physical Torture... but I won't go there...) You want to do push-ups as part of this Physical Conditioning (don't ask about push-ups in CAP... that's a topic for another day). You don't have enough room to do a double-interval dress-right-dress in all directions (not like that would be a good thing, anyway!) You're already at Double Interval. Give the basics a Half Right (Left), FACE, and they'll have lots of room to do their pushups. Sound cool? You should have seen it with 1,400 basic cadets at the US Air Force Academy! It was a sight. I have pictures, in case you're interested!


(Notice everybody lined up and faced 1/2 left?)

So, Matthew... does this answer your question? I hope so, because Dr. Drill's time is valuable (NOT) and he has many other important things to do (BOLDFACE LIE). Feel free to submit additional questions to Dr. Drill, who is currently ranked 1,342nd in the world in the world-famous, if not totally unknown Olympic event of Full Contact Competition Drill & Ceremonies.

Dr. Drill


Caution: Dr. Drill isn't always one hundred percent serious. Please activate your Joke Detectors. And don't call us when you find yourself explaining to a membership termination board why you used a staple gun to keep a cadet's hands at his sides during "To The Rear, March". All we're going to say on your behalf is "Duh!"

And if you find yourself on the bad end of a serious counseling because you decided to go toe-to-toe with your squadron commander over the position of the guide during a squadron-in-mass formation or something similarly trivial, well, we're just going to point, laugh and call you names!

Dr. Drill welcomes comments and corrections. Nothing herein is to be construed as official policy unless quoted from an up-to-date regulation or manual and Dr. Drill is not to be used as a blunt instrument to reshape the pointy heads of your superiors. Dr. Drill has made an extensive study of the drill and knows some people who know some things, but he's not the Final Authority on what happens at your unit. That Final Authority is? That's right, kids! Your UNIT COMMANDER.

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