How often is Drill and Ceromonies/Military Customs and Courtesies taught at your unit?

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 19 Mar 2014 17:19:52 -0400

I was an instructor at RSP for new recruits and we taught Drill & Ceromonies/Military Customs and Courtesies every month. That was also being that we were teaching new recruits.  I have visited units where some personnel could not march properly or also didn't understand common customs and courtesies. I personally think that units should do a refresher course of training at least once a quarter for familiarization on Drill and Ceromonies and Military Customs and Courtesies.

How often is Drill and Ceromonies or Military Customs refreshed at your unit, and what do you recommend units to do to ensure their soldiers know and understand this?

Response by SFC James Baber made Mar 21 at 2014 2:25 AM

SFC James Baber — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 02:25:13 -0400

With dual wars being conducted and focused on for much of the past decade, this is something that has been lost for garrison standards. I would like to think some are doing it, but the reality is that probably most units are not and no one even got it on their radar that it needs to have a a re-energized focus placed on it to get back to basics for all Soldiers, juniors and NCOs alike.

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Mar 21 at 2014 1:11 PM

SFC Michael Hasbun — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 13:11:18 -0400

Drill.... and ceremonies? What is this black magic you speak of? Is that some new school or something?

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 21 at 2014 4:10 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 16:10:33 -0400

It's still taught in the TRADOC environment, but none of the three units I was assigned to ever put much emphasis on it. It was assumed that once you arrived at the unit you already knew what to do. The only exception is when a soldier was preparing for WLC. Then the platoon would get together and give the soldier being sent an opportunity to learn how to march a group.

Response by SGT Bryon Sergent made Mar 21 at 2014 4:12 PM

SGT Bryon Sergent — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 16:12:15 -0400

Well we were in our armory and the BC came through as his office is in the same armory with several others. The SPC that was addressed by the BC never looked up from the game he was playing to see who was speaking to him. Let's just say we all got ripped for that one!

And to answer the question there isn't any focus on drill and ceremony, or customs and courtesies isn't taught at all. It is talked about but not enforced. I have to admitt that my customs and courtesies are lacking as well. I will ratchet that down though.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 24 at 2014 11:37 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 24 Mar 2014 11:37:41 -0400

SGT Roney, I couldn't' agree more. Drill and ceremonies (D & C) is a staple to the American military culture. In fact it dates back to the Revolutionary War. It was then General George Washington asked the French Officer Baron Friedrich von Steuben to assist the American colonists in the creation and implementation of a drill and ceremony format. He knew then that the use of such concepts would assist in instilling discipline and esprit de corps with the Soldiers of that time. It turns out he was right and the military has used it ever since to do the same.

There are many that believe that D & C is now an antiquated methodology that has little place in the military, other than for special occasions. Instead, many believe that conducting decisive unit training provides the same type and level of discipline that D & C might otherwise impose-perhaps even a higher level. Yet, I fundamentally disagree with that assertion, as Baron von Steuben so ably confirmed over 200 years ago. You cannot reach higher levels of discipline on the battlefield and be a well oiled, working machine, without an instillation of the basic concepts enshrined in every Soldier. D & C is probably the best mechanism to assist to that end.

I will work with the NCOs in our unit to make time on the training schedule for just that, so we can remember those customs and courtesies and instill a higher order of discipline in our unit. Thanks for the observation.

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 30 at 2014 3:17 PM

CW5 Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 30 Jul 2014 15:17:57 -0400

CW4 Private RallyPoint Member taught me everything I know about D&C.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 3 at 2015 12:48 AM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 03 Jan 2015 00:48:59 -0500

My cycle at Basic Training was one (At least drill sergeants said so) of the first since the start of OEF/OIF to put a strong focus on D and C. I didn't value it at all then, and considered it a complete waste of time. I've since changed my mind somewhat. I feel that it has value to help keep our culture and history alive. I believe that it's important to be able to conduct a memorial ceremony and firing squad, or flag detail properly and look good doing it. I think it's disrespectful to those who've gone before us if we can't. As for customs and courtesies, if we lose those, we don't have an Army anymore.

Response by SSG (ret) William Martin made Jan 3 at 2015 4:34 AM

SSG (ret) William Martin — Sat, 03 Jan 2015 04:34:19 -0500

In my organization, our Soldiers march to where they need to go if we have at least a squad size element. We do it in order to keep DNC fresh and well practiced.

Response by SFC Marcus Belt made Apr 6 at 2016 2:58 PM

SFC Marcus Belt — Wed, 06 Apr 2016 14:58:02 -0400

Military customs and courtesies are invaluable. D&C...well USASOC is no threat to the Old Guard, as far as D&C.

But even when I was in the 82d, we didn't train on it except for when you were detailed to a change of command or retirement ceremony.

D&C is a thing, and I used to be a Color Sergeant for my BN Color Guard in a past life, so at least according to an NCOER, I used to be good at it. Might've even enjoyed it at the time.

But no, we devote no time to D&C unless we're prepping a Soldier for NCOES.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 14 at 2016 11:05 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 14 Aug 2016 23:05:28 -0400

SGT (P) Roney,

What don't go over them enough.

Thanks for sharing