Hi.
I was wondering that, if told to go up to recieve a badge what to do. I am not sure how. Can anyone help? Is it stand at attention, right incline, about turn march round the left side of B Flight and towards the CO? Thank you!
Itâll change slightly depending where in a squad or flight you are stood, but generally:
- Come to attention
- Incline to the right
If thereâs a rank Infront of you walk with arms by side to end of rank (walking in front of your rank to the right) - March round to in front of awarding officer
- Halt In front of officer, turn if needed
- Salute
- Collect award, shake hands and salute again.
- Repeat in reverse back to your space.
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Thank you so much! Very helpful, much appreciated
Slight alteration to @mprentice1âs sequence above:
ACTO 27 is the best we have to something written for this (Annex C):
AP818 RAF Manual of Drill and Ceremonial does not address the issue of an individual cadet falling out of a squad, so this annex formalises the procedure adopted within the ACO:
a. Cadets in the FRONT Rank: are to come to attention. After observing a pause equal to marching two paces in quick time are to step out and march up to the officer, halt, observe a pause equal to two paces in quick time, salute, receive their award. Salute again, pause equal to two paces in quick time, then about turn, after observing a further two paces in quick time, step off, and march back into their place in the squad. There they are to halt, pause for two paces in quick time, about turn, then after adjusting their dressing. They are then to stand at ease.
b. Cadets in the CENTRE or REAR rank: are to come to attention. After observing a pause equal to two paces in quick time, are to right turn; a pause is observed equal to two paces in quick time, then the cadet is to step off behind the cadets in their rank. They emerge behind the marker cadet in their rank, and then on to the front of the parade halting in front of the officer as detailed above. When the cadet resumes position in the ranks they are to re-enter along the rear of their rank, but from the opposite end of the rank to the marker cadet. Upon halting in position, they are to turn to face front, adjust their dressing, and then stand at ease.
It is difficult to march as such whilst âin the ranksâ. Therefore, cadets should move smartly and without fuss, until in clear space beyond the marker cadet, when they should break into a march. The same applies to returning to position after receiving the award.
So it has a right turn, then go behind the rank youâre in if youâre in the centre or rear rank.
Youâll find it does vary a bit though
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Jinx!
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Iâm not happy about that about turn in ACTO 27 at all. You should never turn your back on an officer, so itâs always been a left or right turn for me (i.e. turn in the direction you are going).
At least the about turn will put a stop to cadets turning one way and executing a 180 degree wheel to march away in the opposite direction, but itâs still wrong: for the reason given above.
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That sort of goes against a lesson taught in AP 818, which I assume is where the about turn you speak of has come from.
AP 818 Pt 1 Ch 3 Lesson 8 - To The Front Salute (Individual) - The reason this movement is taught is to teach an individual the actions to be carried out when approaching to speak to an officer.
This principle has been applied to ACTO 27 in terms of receiving the award.
I donât disagree that this is a major deviation from the norm of Service and Cadet traditions. Standard practice for most, due to convenience, is to execute a left turn and march back to your assigned spot in the Squad.
As with some other areas, it can be better to take the book with a slight pinch of salt and do what works for you. Itâs always prudent to remember that AP 818 was written in mind for Drill and Ceremonial on Station level, where space is of a minimum size and there are apt levels of instruction. RAFAC has to adapt in some respects, simply because following to the letter in some circumstances is not practical.
I trust this wouldnât be standard practise if your assigned spot in the squad is to your right?
Itâs what I see most do, but thereâs nothing stopping a turn to the right either. All depends on what works with the space youâve got, and how difficult or easy people wish to make it.
Itâs just that turning the wrong way and then wheeling all the way around reallly isnât a good look.
At my squadron we do a left turn then, if your flight is to the right of the OC, you simply march around behind the other flight so as to approach your flight from the left, as per the ACTO27 screenshot.
Itâs turning the wrong way and then wheeling all the way around that frustrates me.
Hopefully, the left turn is due to local circumstances (e.g. there is room to march around to the back at one side, but not the other) and not for arbitrary reasons.
That makes perfect sense for the centre and rear ranks of No. 2 Flt and is in keeping with the instructions in ACTO 27 (albeit without the about turn, perhaps due to available space?)
However, Iâd like to think that someone on the front rank of No. 2 Flt would simply turn right and march directly back the way they came.
We donât do much marching, so weâd definitely try to avoid marching all the way around the parade square to get to a position only a few paces from our start point.
Siggggggggh
Just right incline march out behind rank in front. If front rankâŚjust march out
Give the officer a wave
Take award
Fall back in the same route you took marching out or adopt the ACTO27 rejoin the other side of the flight, but id argue if you would have space to faff around so much
Simples, i dont know why people over complicate things.
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This is how I feel about the frankly bizarre âfall out but march in a straight line for a bitâ routine, before everyone just suddenly stops or starts walking in the opposite direction.
I understand normalising marching if youâre still on a parade ground but, even then, if youâre not all walking pretty much the same direction thatâll quickly descend into chaos anyway.
And if so, wouldnât you have simply been better marching them off the parade ground as a squad?âŚ
As a cadet it was always a right incline and then youâre done. No longer in the squad. Canât work out if something changed or I was always doing it wrong. I donât recall having to do this when at Cranwell though.
The only fall out on a parade ground should be fall out the officers where they march off the parade ground, the others should be marched off the parade ground and fallen out somewhere else.
Anyways enough drill nerdery before bed for me
Do you know why and where this whole âincline then march 5 pacesâ thing came from?
It just seems to me to be the opposite of what good drill stands for 