Like on a eyes left would the left marker turn his/her head and on a eyes right would the right marker turn his/her head or would they keep their eyes front? I keep forgetting to ask this on parade nights.
both markers keep their eyes front
During a drill competition everybody performs the movement as the squad is being judged on everybody being able to do it.
But during normal parade drill, no. The markers don’t turn their heads because they need to keep the squad in line.
And they don’t need to stay in line in the competition? I love the logic!
Ok, so, this is how it works and why the ATC gets this wrong ALL THE TIME.
On a formal parade you have Markers AND Guides. The Guides are in position before the flights march on to the parade square to show the markers where to stop. The Markers march onto the parade square and halt one pace away from the guides. When the flight then turns into line the layout is this: (M=Marker, G=Guide, x = bod.
MxxxxxxxxxxxMG
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
MxxxxxxxxxxxMG
So you have markers on the corners, and Guides in front of the Markers. When the parade does the march past the markers turn their heads on the eyes right. The Guides keep marching, it is they who look where they need to go, not the Markers.
In the ATC we barely ever actually have enough bods to do proper Guides, so we bastardise the process and mix them together. The answer is Markers always do the movements.
AP818 shows this as:
GxxxxxxxxxxxG
xxxxxxxxxxx
MxxxxxxxxxxxM
front
The markers are on the front rank or directing flank, the guides shadow them.
But yes, we seldom use this so the lead bod on the directing flank acts as marker and steers.
As far as competitions are concerned, this is covered in the FAQ that accompanies ACTO120.
It is only for a few paces in the competition and they will be well practised.
Incbus has got it. Markers in the front, guides in the rear.
When marching onto markers for a parade it’s the Marker for each flight (of whichever flank, dependent on which way they’re marching on) who is taken out and placed in position on the square ahead of time.
The Guide is then responsible for “guiding” the flight to march onto their Marker.
Now, with the regards the original post. In the *old days" it was required for competition that all cadets turn their heads, whereas in real life the marker would remain facing front - to control the direction.
I seem to recall that with the introduction of the newer drill competition sequences this silly requirement was dropped and no specific guidance was given.
Now though it’s all addressed in the FAQ to which icubus has linked - and we’ve gone for the (now traditional) approach of making things overly complicated.
I am hoping a future sequence will include a section where the coordinator takes post at the head of a column and does a march-past with them where, of course, the marker will remain eyes front and they give a salute.
That will need to wait until we have finished cocking about with headdress…