Looking ahead seeing the convoy that I am driving with to Huntington Beach, CA, I am reminded of all the hard work that went into the planning of this trip. All the practice, all the sacrifice, all the patience, and inevitably the final product. My first semester at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University introduced me to the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps and eventually onto Color Guard with the Detachment 028 Honor Corps. The Corps consists of the Rifle Drill Team, Saber Drill team, and the Color Guard. All of which are the most prestigious of the wing. As I was saying when introduced to the Color Guard I was re-taught and thrown at into the knowledge required to memorize weeks before the rest of the wing would even start to learn it. The Honor Corps here is like a family and everyone is there to help everyone, as I taught one of the Saber drill team members the ranks and pay grades for all the services before our first Honor Corps exam. Now, all the hard work, all the sacrifice, leads us to here, the Southern California Invitation Drill Meet (SCIDM).

The drill meet is one of the most prestigious in the nation. In attendance are such ROTC detachments as the University of Ohio, USC, and also in attendance is the United States Air Force Academy. With these competitors there brings so much competition but yet so much camaraderie. All the teams that are participating have worked just as long and just as hard if not more. Never in my Civil Air Patrol career would I be prepared for the likes of this. In my old squadron in New Jersey wing I was part of the Color Guard in some way from when I joined to when I left. I was part of the wing team in 2002 and I helped out with the following guards eventually escorting the NER guard (from my old squadron) to the National Cadet Competition. That was one of my favorite moments in my CAP career and will stick with me for a long time. I have trained with them and now I am here, on the Color Guard for Det 028. Somehow I feel all the time I spent in New Jersey working with the guard there has only helped me in someway. I have learned so much and taught even more, even here I teach some people.

As we arrive Friday is filled with some practice followed with more practice. The next three days are planned out to the minute. The competition is only a day away. Each team is dealing with their nerves their own way. They have been practicing for this for months, some for a year. The color guard has cut itself down to the competition team, nothing else which consists of four sophomores and me, a freshman. We have grown together, we have the same classes, and we chill out in each others rooms and so on. This marks how much we have grown together that we can feel each others step, predict each others movement, and think what each other is thinking. Competition brings people together and creates friendships that will always last, moments you will always remember with the phrase, "Remember at that competition when so and so did this?" The competition has yet to begin and we are only awaiting, growing more impatient until that moment when you hear, "Team Tench-Hut," and it begins.

As competition approached the Embry-Riddle Honor Corps was awakened by lovely knocks on the door at 0515 by the Commander and the day begins. Each member readies themselves, the guys put finishing touches shaving ever morsel of hair off and girls make sure their hair is perfect and put up. Every member puts their uniform on carefully not to disturb any ribbon or button. It's a routine everyone has come accustomed to and the phrase "we make this look good," comes to mind. As the teams get down to a ready area we're briefed by the honor corps commander and then we're off to the competition.

Arriving we're greeting by the soothing sound of AFJROTC practicing and we know right then and there that it has begun. The whole honor corps is brought together by the commander and he gives us his motivational speech. Then the teams are off to their respective areas. Anticipation is against us, the color guard has three hours until their performance as well as the Saber team. The rifle team however is going on first in the competition and starts their performance with inspection as the rest of the Embry Riddle Honor Corps and alumni cheering them on.

The Southern California Invitation Drill Meet begins as any military function would start, with opening formation. All teams are sent to their respective areas and over the loudspeaker you can hear a voice saying, "Team commander, bring your teams to attention." Right before this I can look around at the 28 schools that represent either NJROTC, AFJROTC, AFROTC as well as the USAFA. Also, I see the "stuff pile" that accompanies our formation and the POC guarding it. The corps is put to attention then parade rest as we are greeted with the Air University Commander, Lt Gen John Regni. He speaks of his cadet days at the USAFA and how the pride and dedication of being on one of the teams cannot be matched, how we are the future leaders of America as well as the Air Force. When his speech concludes over the loud speaker you can hear, "Team Commanders dismiss your team and begin competition." Our rifle team is the first unit to perform in the Senior ROTC category.

The Rifle team commander (my former mentor) puts the rifle team to present arms and reports in, "Sir, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is ready for inspection." The MTI salutes back and as inspection starts, the MTI MSgt (a Blue Rope [link to definition of blue rope]) looks at the commander with a fine tooth comb. She brings her spotless M1 Garand to inspections arms and hands it to the MTI who literally rips it out of her hands. He checks it over, asks her some questions about the rifle then hands it back. As his inspection of her continues you can see the eyes of the MTI through his aviator type sunglasses staring her down, you can feel the aura from the silent fierceness of the MTI. He takes a look behind the commander, and every click of his heel is striking more and more fear into the heart of each member of the team. Each click more perfectly precise as the MTI looks through the rear of the rifle team commander. After he completes the inspection with her he then looks over to the side and there are two TIs standing, waiting like tigers ready to pounce on their prey. They leave their area and all of a sudden each element is bombarded with a lovely TI and the first element with the MTI. You can hear a mix of questions ranging from "What is the muzzle velocity of your weapon?" to "Where is the United States Air Forces in Europe HQ located?" Each answer recited right back, each answer correct. The MTI and TIs move on with their inspection moving over with a special step one would have to be there to know. Next person moves to inspection arms, next person answers question and suddenly silence approaches the drill pad and inspection ends with reporting out. The rifle team commander moves onto the regulation phase of drill.

The regulation phase consists of a drill sequence that is impromptu. There is a specific time limit where the flight has to complete the drill in. This is where the real teams split from everyone else. It's not all about how great your performance is it's not how great you can dress yourselves. It's about how good you can drill, how good you can listen and execute. There is a reason its rifle drill team and not just an exhibition team. So the team commander reports and receives her drill card. As the rifle team does their performance, everyone stays in step and their DCID is almost perfect. After a short time and each command is executed the team commander goes to present arms and announces that the team has completed the regulation phase of competition and now the exhibition phase is about to begin.

Exhibition is the part of competition that everyone thinks of when they think of a rifle or saber team. Spinning the sabers or the rifles in unison and passing them. That is what most of practice ends up concentrating on. The performance starts with the reporting in and all of a sudden the rifle team starts and disperses doing their performance. It ends up being a flawless performance, no dropping rifles and no one misses a spin. A sigh of relief on each member of the rifle team can be seen and they've earned it. The competition for them is over but the saber team and the color guard have yet to perform, but their performances are not far away.

Both the saber and color guard teams practice and warm up as their time comes for competition. First up is the color guard though, we walk to the area for the color guard portion and prepare for competition. The Guard forms up at the ready line and reports in ready for inspection. A female 2d Lt who is an honor guardsman looks each member over, making sure to check every part of the color guards uniform also asking them questions like, "What does PAS stand for?" or "Who is your wing commander?" Color Guard isn't all about knowing everything but it's also about precision in movements and how the posting looks. That's what our performance was, a posting of the colors within a drill pad and avoiding an audience. The color guard started their performance and made it to the area in front of the audience and presented arms for the abbreviated national anthem. After that is where our color guards trademark is, the posting of the actual colors, this is what we're known for. At the command, flags forward march both flag bearers take one step forward, right face, then three steps forward. Without hesitation the two rifles do a right face to face the flag as the junior flag bearer takes a left face and the senior flag bearer takes a right face. Almost immediately after that both flag bearers take a half face inwards to face the poles. Then the flag bearers march into the flags at an angle and on the senior flag bearers third step both rifle bearers do a right face. The flags make it to their posts and put the flags in their holders with the command post. Everyone on the guard is commander present arms and order arms to the American flag and then again the command post is given. Everyone does an immediate inward face (Jr flag and Jr rifle do a left face when the Sr Flag and Sr Rifle do a right face). The flag bearers march side to side back into the guard and then they march to the end of the drill pad and halt. The color guard commander salutes and states, "Ma'am, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University has completed the color guard competition." She salutes back signifying the end of competition for our guard. The applause from the crowd begins as the sighs of relief from the members of the color guard start as well. Now all that is left is the saber team to perform.

The whole honor corps gets together around the senior inspection pad. Our saber team is the only one in the competition and they compete against the rifle teams. So technically there is no difference in competition other then the fact they carry sabers instead of rifles. The MTI that inspected the rifle team earlier stands in the ready position and the saber team commander reports in, "Sir, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is prepared for inspection phase of competition." As all the hard work comes down to the competition the MTI approaches the saber team commander and he brings his saber out to inspection arms. The MTI carefully takes the saber and looks at it for any scratches or cracks. After about fifteen seconds the MTI gives the saber back to the commander and starts looking over his uniform. He asks the commander a couple questions and looks over his uniform with the same aura of fear around that the other team had. You hear again each click of the MTI's shoes as he moves around the uniform. After this he moves onto the first element and looks over at the other TI's and again the come out like they were pouncing on prey. Each member of the team is approached by the TIs and they all go up to inspection arms and are asked a series of questions again. Each TI has the same step and the same attitude; they all are cool and calm yet aggressive and fierce. As the TI's finish their respective inspections the saber commander reports out and they begin the regulation phase of the competition. As I stated before, regulation makes a team, it's whether or not you can really march and as the rifle team showed before, we can do that. The saber team performs an outstanding show of marching and starts to prepare themselves for their exhibition performance. The saber team always puts us on our feet because throwing a fourteen to sixteen pound rifle is dangerous but thrown a sharp sword around is crazy, yet we do it and we do it good. So the performance starts with the commander reporting in as usual and then you hear one word, "Post" and the performance starts. A true showing of grace, skill, and most of all talent, with their performance, truly an awe inspiring experience. An almost flawless performance shown to the crowd and the rest of the honor corps. All their hard work paid off in such a short time but yet it felt like so long. We all were proud of ourselves as a whole corps of cadets.

The competition ended shortly thereafter and we all formed up for closing formation. The anticipation to know what we won was on everyone's mind. At this competition was the best of the best and we knew we were the best. As they announced the winners to the inspection phase our rifle team took second and in the regulation phase of competition the saber took third place. What mattered most to the rifle and saber teams was the sweepstakes award (the overall winner) which the saber team took third in. Next was the color guard competition and Embry-Riddle color guard took third in the competition of fifteen teams. Everyone has something to be proud of and as a corps we all we more proud to go from nothing to being a true team with everyone. The competition brought us together as no other event could. We came into the honor corps as cadets without the knowledge of a saber or rifle or flag, we left this competition as experts in our fields and are the better for it. What comes from this corps of cadets is not only the camaraderie of each other but the knowledge of what a team is, what it means to set a goal and achieve it, most importantly what it takes to be the best of the best.