I’ve always come to attention when raising my hand, or talking when formed up.
However, many years ago there was a drill instruction video released which specifically stated you should remain at ease for applause. I do prefer that.
I’d say tradition, coming to attention shows respect also when asking a question on a large parade highlights where you are!
I did hear a rumour about not forming a T with your feet anymore after you’ve been granted permission (after coming to the position of attention and raising the right arm in the bent 90 deg upwards position) to adjust dress. May have just been on tall tail…
Is the forming a T thing even in the manual? Or is it just a cadet ism?
Racking my brains if I was taught it as a cadet or when I joined up.
Shall check 818 or next best thing an ex cadet on QCS!
QCS dont really follow the drill manual
It’s all cadetisms, and there is no reference to it in the book at all as most have already said.
I really dislike the coming to attention when clapping, I think it looks shoddy and disorganised as everyone moves at different times.
For being spoken to, there could be more than 1 question aimed at you so could be coming to attention and then standing at ease a number of times - seems irrelevant over use of drill IMO.
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Yeah that’s not in there…its in ACP19 so a fall out from that
A cadet stood at ease is an idol cadet 
drill them up and down the square SWO!
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Persons at Attention or At Ease are basically stuck like that. The DI course teaches to stand the students Easy so that they can move their heads and watch the instructor, so the same principle basically applies to clapping and the like. For this and for welfare reasons, stand your parades Easy for speeches and presentations, people.
The ATC does a whole lot more clapping than the RAF (and a whole lot more drill too - basic training doesn’t count towards the average) and is trying to adopt some sort of standardisation that 818 just doesn’t care about. To that end, we (specifically, a video/DVD that was sent out many years ago) promoted the idea of standing a parade Easy and then they can clap without any further nonsense, such as coming back and forth to attention, or sticking one foot behind the other.
The same video showed how to receive an award (incorrectly, with a caption as I recall), how multiple cadets come out for awards, and to save applause until the recipients were on their way back to the squad.
On that matter, I get annoyed when a bunch of cadets At Ease/Easy are asked something like “any questions” and you get a cascade of people coming to attention (and perhaps breaking step) noisily and shouting “no sir”. I prefer the “dark cockpit” concept of only being informed if there is a problem, so I don’t want to hear from anybody unless there “is” a question (just like the shooting “has anybody not finished?”), in which case a raised hand will typically suffice.
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From QCS
Not current to come to attention to perform actions such as clapping or asking questions, however yes still break ranks (instep of right foot comes no more than 3 inches behind heel of left foot) for adjusting dress
I asked this question at ATF as I’d never stood to attention as a cadet when clapping etc but noticed my cadets were doing so. WO Mannion and FS Moss advised that they should not be coming to attention, for reasons pretty much as others have mentioned above.
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I think I remember that coming up when I was on SSIC. Not sure if one of us raised it or they did.
Also discussed only one per group saluting.
I was informed WO Mannion assisted writing the 7th edition of 818…so would take his word
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Are none of you guys on nickname terms with ol’ B-Ry and Mossy? All this “WO Mannion” and “FS Moss” malarkey!
No?
Me neither…
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I’ll try in a couple weeks then see how long it takes them to use the swords I’ll be playing with to turn me into a kebab
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“Yo Mcgavigan!”
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#PlayingWithFire
I’m not responding, 2 reasons:
- I WILL say something unwise. Funny (maybe… Debatably), but unwise.
- Pep’s gonna swing by at some point…
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Ok…now, I sort-of understand the logic behind this ‘revised’ approach. But surely there’s a paradox, here?
A Cadet not in part of a formed-up squad would come to attention/brace when independantly-speaking to/with an Officer or NCO, in a formal setting, as a default expectation…surely?
On that basis…why wouldn’t an individual Cadet as a seperate part of a formed-up squad come to attention when personally-speaking with whoever is I/C that group?
Thinks…during ‘For Inspection- Open Order’, an entire rank-row is brought to attention so as to be able to formally speak/be inspected.
It’s just it seems so odd that an individual wouldn’t be expected to come to attention if they were being directly spoken with…especially in a formal setting.
Can someone please explain the logic in this…I thought it was making sense to me, now it’s not.
Because cadets end up doing the lateral hokey cokey and you could be speaking to multiple cadets or the same cadet multiple times. It just creates a mess of moving bodies and a cacophony of stamping/shuffling feet.
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