Hi, does anyone have a copy of the new 2017 sequence as I have been told it has now been made available on sharepoint.
It is in hqac documents and policies > activities > drill > competitions > footdrill > 2017 sequence.
I would post a link but sharepoint isn’t playing
It seems to be OK and rather simple to get your head around this year compared to last year.
The first marks go to those who could find it without the direct links/
Someone really needs to get a life.
Why we need a new drill test sequence every year is beyond me. Our sqn drill team changes to some extent every year so suggesting that cadets remember it year on year obviously doesn’t get amongst cadets very often.
Is this just some WO sitting there needing to justify a role / job title. I know there are some in the SNCO cadre that seem to think they are actually in the RAF and need to make a job for themselves. Lord knows what they do for a real job.
It will grow to a bank of 5 sequences.
The logic being that no cadet will do the same sequence more than twice.
Makes all the prep each year for the competition less boring and repetitive.
So cadets will remember something they do for a couple of months (max) each year after 5 years if they redo it in between time? Are you sure you’re in the same ATC as I am? Many cadets forget things between parades. We do map reading exercises prior to DofE expeds as cadets have to relearn how to navigate and we do map reading more often than some drill sequence.
As a cadet I was in a D&C and continuity rifle display squad and we had to essentially re-learn sequences in between displays and only once you’d been in it for a couple of years with constant repetition the re-learning process become easier. Many cadets did it for a couple of displays and left. To that end unless you are on sad bunny sqn who have little else to do a foot drill sequence would be the same, I doubt cadets would remember it year on year.
When it comes to drill competitions we instruct in the elements and only practice the sequence for two or three occasions, so that cadets react to the order given and not remembering the sequence. We only practice the sequence for two or three occasions so that NCO i/c and spares get some practice doing it and more so that cadets react to the order given and not remembering the sequence. This what we did as cadets and works for me. I’ve watched sqns where it’s obvious they’ve learned the sequence as the NCO i/c gives a wrong command and cadets go the way they expect to rather than what the order dictates. Which is quite funny to watch. One year the Deputy WWOs sqn did it which was even funnier.
I would bet even with a bank of 5 sequences someone will keep doing “new ones” to keep the fallacy of their own importance alive.
What is everyone’s general opinion of the new routine? I personally believe that it’s relatively easy this year, the only manoeuvres imposing difficulty being the removal of headdress with the cheer and the change from slow time to quick.
This years seems like the old style routine that we had for years with some minor changes and those changes are not hugely difficult as the remove head-dress is very simple and the rest was covered in last year’s sequence.
I do think that the about turn at slow time is going to be interesting to make it look good however
Has anyone managed to work out how one cheers when wearing a beret? Since this would never occur in the real world.
The question has been asked and guidance will be forthcoming. There is nothing to suggest that this will never happen in real life, though the RAF have written 818 expecting SD Caps.
I like the change of routines annually - the old one was getting very stale and it is good to throw in some new movements.
I look forward to the inclusion of a ceremonial section with the NCO marching with the squad.
For those unable to access Bader (ie. me), could the new sequence be posted on here? I’m interested to see what they have thought up this time!
Teflon, either you enjoy getting people on a bight, or you are legitimately jaded. I think you’d struggle to find any cadet who wouldn’t be interested in seeing a new drill sequence every year; it keeps things fresh and interesting. I’d hate to imagine what your cadets think when you start to rant at them…
- Tallest on the Right, Shortest on the Left, in Single Rank-Size
- Squad-Number
- Odd Numbers, Two paces Forwards-March
- No 1 Stand Fast, Ranks, Right and Left-Turn
- Form Squad, Quick-March
- Right Dress, Eyes Front
- Open order March
- Right Dress, Eyes Front
- Right turn
- About turn
- Left turn
- About turn
- Right incline
- Front salute
- Left salute
- Right salute
- Right incline
- Quick march
- Front salute
- Right salute
- Officer passing front salute
- About turn
- Left salute
- Halt
- Left turn
- Close order
- Right Dress, Eyes Front
- Remove head-dress/Replace head-dress (To include 1 Cheer)
- 5 Paces Left Close march
- 3 Paces rearward march
- Right Dress, Eyes Front
- Right Turn
- Slow march
- About turn
- Breaking into quick time from slow time
- Mark time
- Change step
- Forward
- Change step in quick time
- (By the left) Left wheel
- Step Out / Quick March
- Left wheel
- Eyes left / Eyes front
- Left wheel
- Step Short / Quick March
- Left wheel
- Halt from the quick march
- Into line, right turn (blank file changes ranks)
- Right Dress, Eyes Front
- Stand at Ease
- Stand Easy
- Shun
- An Officer on Parade, Dismiss
New routines given the turn over of cadets are pointless. This is purely a product of an adult SNCO cadre especially WWO and higher looking to justify their positions and playing at being in the RAF. I’m still a VR(T) and by definition part of the RAF and I’ve never ever felt like I have to play up the RAF card (like some SNCOs seem they have to) and will carry on when/if I become a Cadet Commissioned officer.
Without dreaming up new things like this I expect many WWO, RWO etc would feel they didn’t have a role. Personally I would like to see people deemed as WWO material running squadrons rather than doing what they do. It would give the SNCO cadre more purpose and development rather than the very narrow drill, dress discip strand.
What can you do to a drill sequence to make it more than marching around a bit doing some movements, which you can change the order of a bit, (which I bet a simple analysis would reveal cosmetic differences in the different sequences) that have been around for centuries?
What next ATC adult SNCOs discover disc like object that can be attached to axles?
BTW I don’t rant at or berate cadets it is pointless, although we have done discussion sessions with staff and cadets on the Corps and I’ve proffered opinions.
I don’t know why people are worried about remove headdress I’ve done this at Remembrance Parades for longer than I’d care to remember. Who is the cheer directed at, as our cheers are to HMQ?
I have had cadets compete in the competition for 7 years, then lead it as adult staff thereafter. While some may compete for just one season, others will be involved for a few years and the variation will help to hone their skills.
It also helps to develop staff and exposes them to a wider variation of drill movements over time. I hope your staff turnaround isn’t as shocking as your cadet turnaround would seem to be based on your comment!!
However, now you are just inventing reasons to be annoyed. The RAF does little in the way of drill beyond what is required in basic training to the extent that it is only now that we have adopted AP818 that many of the inconsistencies and issues in that document are being noticed. We rely on the thing to ensure consistency and we run competitions; the RAF are more comfortable letting SWOs and DIs adapt based on whether something looks good. Giving a damn about drill standards seems to be very far away from “playing at being in the RAF”
Anyway, as you are a self-confessed officer I don’t see how this really concerns you anyway 
Book says use 1 hand, which is difficult to do with a beret. The action itself is simple but to be 100% by the book we will have issues, so I hope we get some advice on that matter. I’m also not sure on who will be “personage” but it probably doesn’t matter. I don’t imagine the queen will be present for any of the competitions.
[quote=“incubus, post:16, topic:2857”]…I’m also not sure on who will be “personage” but it probably doesn’t matter.
[/quote]
maybe it will be our esteemed Honorary Group Captain, once she gets her rack back in her tunic on return from Jungle duties?
and yes, yes i would…
We had John Nichol this year in lieu of the Hon Grp Capt. Not quite the same.
AOC 22Gp was the big shiney though.
As a CO I don’t want people doing things that aren’t really required and as a former AWO (and Squadron WO before I took command of a unit as a WO) drill and dress standards you quickly learn are not the be all and end all, unless you have nothing else to do.
did you throw stones at him?