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Visualize a 40 Inch Distance...

Dr. Drill

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

Dr. Drill,

What is the proper way to teach cadets how to "visually establish a 40-inch distance" when the flight is in falling into formation? Some Air Force drill instructors require the element leader to hold up their right arm and touch the shoulder blade of the element leader in front of them to establish the distance; however the measurement of this distance is not 40 inches. Others require the element leader hold up their right arm and leave approximately 6 more inches of space between their fingertips and the element leader in front of them? How is this distance correctly determined?

BoiseCAP 2006

Dr. Drill responds


Dear BoiseCAP,

Can I call you Boy? Thanks!

Okay, well, congratulations on discerning that your guys should be getting that distance visually. Dr. Drill can't tell you the myriad different ways that he's seen people try to achieve the proper distance. There's the classic 'lifting your arm with your cover in it', the old 'put a laser range finder on the hat brim' and the tired 'imbed a 40-inch titanium rod in the sternum'. Good tricks all, I suppose, but none of the is a visual way of determining distance!

For those of you not familiar with what we're talking about, I refer you to the AFMAN 36-2203 in the sections on forming the flight and Dress Right:

"...The second, third, and fourth element leaders align themselves directly behind the person in front of them (using small choppy steps) and visually establish a 40-inch distance. ..."

Frankly, the only way to get the hang of this is to practice at it. Go get yourself a 40-inch dowel, march your people and at intervals stop them and whip the dowel out to check their distance. If it's too close, adjust them. Eventually, they'll figure it out.

You do have one thing going for you, here: only the element leaders need to have a good handle on this, since the elements just dress right off them. If you can get them at a good 40, your trouble should be solved.

Good luck,

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!

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