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DrillMaster’s Guide to Life

July 4, 2012 in Commentary, Instructional

Keep the Ten Commandments

It doesn’t matter if you do not believe in the One True God, His Commandments are the perfect guide to life for everyone.
Do not steal. Ever. It doesn’t matter how much something costs. Don’t do it. Especially the “easy” stuff like software and music and other things over the Net.

Do NOT have sex (of any kind) before you get married!

This can be extremely difficult in certain situations- so don’t put yourself in those situations. Have respect for yourself and your girl/boyfriend.

Porn

Can ruin your life. Do not look at it, ever. Please stay away from it at all costs.

Don’t hate people, hate actions

Here is the difference: “I hate people who wear tight blue jeans.” Or, “I hate it when people wear tight blue jeans.” Do you really hate the person or what he/she is doing? The answer is you hate the action and not the person. I know, the person may be the biggest pain in your life, but don’t hate them; one day they may come around and see life differently and it could be because of you. I also know that this can be, at times, easier said than done.

Finish high school! (Or, preferably, home schooling up to graduation)

Without finishing, life can be rough, very rough. Consider school your main job while you are in it.

Go to college or a technical school

There are jobs that require a degree and jobs that require certifications. Choose what you would like to do and go for it wisely.

Don’t get married until you are 25

This is not a hard-and-fast rule, but you are finished with your schooling and already established in a career. It is not that long to wait. Yes, there are exceptions, but not many.

When married:

Put God at the center of your marriage and in front of everything you do

Never yell when in an argument

Never say ANYTHING derogatory about your spouse

Take responsibility for your actions; do not blame others for what you’ve done

Men: love your wife with a passionate and respectful love and lead your family in the right direction while accepting her input

Women: love your husband with a passionate and respectful love and follow his lead while offering your input

Having children

Have as many as you want, children are great!

There is no need for hitting (a quick spanking is not “hitting”- one smack on the butt can get the point across, but should be used VERY sparingly). I used firm language and a stern voice.

Raise them with logical consequences, though. Example: Telling your child that if s/he does not rake the leaves, then s/he cannot go out. (Now see #4)

Follow through with your words- immediately. I laugh at parents who tell their child something and then start counting. That’s teaching the child that they do not have to listen to you until you’ve finished practicing your numbers. When a parent says to do something, it had better happen right now. Period. The same goes for training a dog.

Give sound reasoning (when the child is old enough) for denials. Example: Your daughter wants to go out with friends. You tell her, “No,” and back it up with, “We will be leaving in 45 minutes to go to XYZ place, remember?” If you cannot back up a decision, then there is no reason for a refusal. “Because I said so,” is a weak and controlling statement.

Do not be condescending or abusive, your job as a parent is to teach your children.

How you were raised

I’m very sorry about whatever bad situation(s) you’ve had. Try to understand that your parents did the best they could with the knowledge they had. Maybe they had zero knowledge and did a horrible job or maybe they had some inkling of parenting and only failed in certain areas. Whatever the case, take the knowledge you’ve gained from them (and this) and set new goals for your children.

Question authority with respect

Law enforcement officers (LEOs) are people too, they can be wrong or make bad decisions/choices. A majority of LEOs are awesome, great people. Some police are just bullies and love their power. Giving back to an LEO bully what you are getting may get you killed. Know your rights and know them well. Read up on the Constitution, Bill of Rights and your state’s laws. Your knowledge could very well help you or someone you know one day.

Don’t drink while you are under age unless you have your parent’s permission and you are in their presence. When you are old enough to drink (really, there is nothing that is all that wonderful about alcohol), do it responsibly. I mean it.

Tags: drillmaster, guide to life No Comments »

by DrillMaster

The Logos of the DrillMaster and WDA

July 2, 2012 in Announcements, Ask DrillMaster, Commentary, DrillCenter News

The Logos of The DrillMaster and The World Drill Association

The first logo, The World Drill Association, created in this series was created in 2009 by a colleague who used his image. However, the logo was not finished and in 2010 I reworked the design slightly and then came up with the Drillmaster and Adjudication Corps logos and used the common theme of the Driller. In 2012 I came up with the DrillMaster University logo.

Why have the Driller in each logo? It’s the common theme of exhibition drill. The Driller is armed, but that does not mean unarmed Drillers are left out of the mix!

Who’s the Driller and what rifle is it? The Driller is me and the rifle is a Daisy Drill Rifle. My daughter, Courtkne, took both pictures when we lived in Germany and I had a friend of mine create the images.

But wait, there’s more!

Just built over the weekend! I will be creating the directories and other things and this Monday progresses!

Join the Drill Evolution!

Tags: drillmaster, forums, logos, WDA, world drill association No Comments »

by DrillMaster

The Process of Certification

June 25, 2012 in Ask DrillMaster, Drill Teams, DrillCenter News, Honor Guard, Instructional

I offer the only trainer and adjudicator certification program for the military drill world. With each certification you then have the knowledge necessary to start creating a foundation of education for those you train. You can build on my knowledge and experience and go further!

How does someone become a certified trainer for drill teams and/or honor guard units?

Choose what you would like from the list below as there are three different certification courses. All training is self-paced with quizzes and tests.

DrillMaster Drill Team Trainer/Coach Certification
Exhibition Drill For The Military Drill Team (XDI) There is a quiz for this book.

Exhibition Drill For The Military Drill Team, Vol II (XDII) There is a quiz for this book.

Other materials: the drill and ceremonies manual for each service. A quiz for each- general knowledge of the differences for each service.

Pass the quizzes and write a sort description of how you would teach three types of teams. You find out the types when you test. Pass and get your certificate in the mail.

DrillMaster Honor Guard Trainer Certification
The Honor Guard Manual (choose either hardbound or spiral bound). There is an involved test on this book.

Other materials: the drill and ceremonies manual for each service. A quiz for each- general knowledge of the differences for each service.

Pass the test and quizzes*. Pass and get your certificate in the mail.

*If you are already a certified DrillMaster, the quizzes are waived.

World Drill Association Judge Certification
World Drill Association Manual and Rule Book For the WDA Manual, read the whole first part of the book and then choose one caption. Study that caption and use it while watching drill performance videos on the internet.

Continuing Education For The WDA Adjudicator A quiz for this book.

There are quizzes for each book and you will also have to submit audio recordings and scores for review for pre-chosen drill performance videos.

How does one keep their certification? Once you are certified, you are then trained and ready to move into a position of training others, if you are not already there. However, if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it, meaning that even though you have a certification, you need to keep informed all the time: reread each book. Constantly. I will eventually develop and offer web-based recertification seminars at the 3-year range. There will also be yearly web-based training seminars for DrillMaster- and WDA-Certified trainers and/or judges as well as live workshops offered around the country.

http://www.thedrillmaster.org/no-drill-please-were-british/

Tags: certification, drillmaster, judging, trainer 3 Comments »

by DrillMaster

Does Drill Team Style Matter to Win?

May 22, 2012 in Ask DrillMaster, Commentary, Drill Teams

Q: I am the coach of a High school in MA and former captain of the armed drill team. Northeast drill seems to vary drastically from other parts of the country. We are a bit slower with more emphasis on military bearing, style and flavor, than much of the speedy Texas style drilling. Is this us not being with the times, or is our style still legitimate?

A: Thanks for the post and thanks for working with your team.

Never judge your own performance by what someone else or another team does.Competition is about being the best you can be with what God gave you to work with. It’s not about Team ABC being better than Team XYZ. Sure, having a trophy is nice, but if that is all you shoot for, then what happens when the celebrations are over? Nothing. You have to do it all over again and it’s not worth all of the effort for a piece of plastic, metal or stone. It is worth the effort to feel that sense of accomplishment; pride in a job well done and if you are on a team, what a sense of teamwork! What if you don’t feel it? Then something needs adjusting and that needs to be figured out to move on and progress.

Give some thought to this scenario: Team ABC and Team XYZ finish a big competition and come in 1st and 2nd, respectively, and also come very close in points. However, if the competition had been an hour later or a day earlier, the placements could have been reversed. Do you see that what our society calls “winning” is actually empty? “Winning” is really about the great feeling you get coming in 5th place and having the best performance you ever had in your life and being happy for all of the other teams around you!

Having said that, there is always room for improvement in all kinds of areas for drill teams and individual Drillers. Styles can be mixed or one can stick to a single style like glue. The choice is yours.

As for judging, the World Drill Association Adjudication System does not take style into account. What matters is effectiveness, communication, clarity, entertainment, plus so much more in each visual caption. (See: http://www.thedrillmaster.org/professional-judges-for-the-military-drill-world-now/.)

One more thing: Nationals is not the be-all and end-all of military drill. You and your team should do their best when creating, practicing and performing the routine. Educated Drillers, instructors and coaches are the makings of routines with great effect, vocabulary and overall entertainment.

Check out www.thedrillmaster.org to begin more in-depth learning regarding military drill.

Tags: drill team, drillmaster, exhibition drill, q&a, style No Comments »

by DrillMaster

DrillMaster at Daytona

May 6, 2012 in Commentary

The first day of competition is finished for The National High School Drill Team Championships 2012 and all is going very well- at least outside the Ocean Center. After spending about 10 hours outside at the Ocean Walk and getting a great farmer’s tan, I talked with dozens of cadets and I found out:

The DrillMaster Driller’s Bayonet is a hit and I could have sold several had they been in production
The DrillMaster 14 is a huge hit and I could have sold them as well!

I was able to explain what was happening and direct people to the Ocean Center for the competition. I talked with a woman who used to march color guard in a Massachusetts drum corps man years ago who was amazed at the weight of the rifles. I was also asked to critique two solos and three tandems. I worked with some great Drillers and helped them see their routine from a different perspective and had such fun meeting all kinds of people from across the US! And then there was the “gentleman” who sidled up beside my table wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the image of an eagle that said, “Proud to be American,” and said, “Hitler Youth Weekend, huh?” I gave him a perplexed look and turned around to continue watching the team that was practicing (Step II). As he chuckled to himself, I looked at him and told him, “No, this is the Junior ROTC National…” at which point he interrupted me and said as he childishly departed, “Same thing.”

The perception of (J)ROTC may, in some minds, have parallels to Adolf Hitler’s program for indoctrinating youth into the WWII Nazi culture of brainwashing young minds into believing the state is God. While this is not the case of any American cadet program (JROTC, CAP, Young Marines, etc.), even if one does have this type of inept mentality, one needs to look past their prejudices and appreciate the time and effort the cadets put into drill. Period.

Hard work, discipline, leadership, followership, teamwork, the list goes on and on of the positive life skills cadets can learn through JROTC. On top of all of that, American Drillers put in hundreds of hours of planning and practice into their routines. Some cadets even learn their drill team’s routine, the color guard’s routine and then they work on their solo routine and maybe even a tandem routine! Many cadets go the extra mile as evidenced at every drill competition across the USA. The inability of a small group of people to recognize this should be treated as insignificant to America’s Drillers.

God bless America and God bless America’s Drillers of all ages.

Tags: daytona, drill team, drillmaster, national high school drill team championships, nationals No Comments »

by DrillMaster

The DrillMaster Training Bayonet

April 21, 2012 in Announcements, Commentary, Drill Teams, Honor Guard, Review

Yes, that’s right! Combat Training Aids and The DrillMaster are developing a training bayonet that, while still a ‘real’ bayonet, is completely dulled and we think this makes it a little ‘safer.’ Would you like to see this blade in action? Come to Daytona Beach the weekend of 5-7 May and stop by The DrillMaster Table behind the Hilton and next to the amphitheater, I’ll be there, the Combat Training Aids M14 will be there and so will the new DrillMaster Training Bayonet prototype!

It is an M1/M1903 bayonet: full steel construction with the standard plastic grips that are attached with a screw. This may not be the exact production model, but CTA and The Drillmaster will get as much input as possible during the above mentioned weekend.

See the prototype pictures below:

This is not the only product coming from Combat Training Aids and The DrillMaster. Stay tuned, there is more to come!

Tags: bayonet, drill team, driller, drillmaster, review 8 Comments »

by DrillMaster

How to Become a Certified Visual Judge

March 10, 2012 in Ask DrillMaster, Drill Teams, DrillCenter News, Honor Guard, Instructional

The World Drill Association and DrillMaster now offer a training and certification program for judges for the military drill world. All aspects of military drill come under the visual category and should be judged as such. That is where the program comes in. There are four visual captions:

1. Overall Effect
2. Composition Analysis
3. Movement
4. Equipment

Also a judging position, but not a caption is:

5. Timing and Penalties

To become a certified judge, here is what you have to do (this is all at your own speed):

1. Purchase The WDA Adjudication Manual
2. Read it
3. Pick a caption on which you would like to concentrate and get certification and study it over and over
4. Study that caption, begin watching videos on the internet of teams and solos and make commentaries based on your caption on that video (use your computer to record yourself- yes everyone’s voice sounds strange to them- but you need to be able to talk about your caption during a performance!)
5. Use the WDA score sheet for your caption to score that performance
6. Repeat steps 3 through 5
7. During your study, submit your commentaries to get feedback for necessary improvements, if needed
8. When you think you are ready, you will be given a short multiple-choice test and also shown several preselected videos in which you must make a commentary and give scores
9. When you pass, you will be given a certificate that says you are a certified WDA Judge for the caption you chose, you then have the option to repeat the steps above for each caption

When you have been certified, it will be time to obtain Continuing Education for the WDA Judge. This book takes you through a more in-depth study of ranking and rating.

When do you want to be a certified judge? It’s mostly up to you. How long will it take? At least six months of study and practice. Can I do it quicker? Probably not. There is no immediate short cut: Study. Practice. Repeat.

So then what? The WDA already has some drill meets where the adjudication system is used, is always looking to add more competitions and will be sponsoring competitions in each state. As more judges are certified and word spreads of real feedback being given to performers, more competitions will want to use certified judges. It will all take time.

The plan is to have groups of the WDA Adjudication Corps in each state with judge coordinators and trainers.

Are you a veteran? The WDA and DrillMaster have developed the Veteran Adjudication Program. The only difference from then above information is that, with sponsorship, the books will be free.

Tags: color guard, color team, daisy, drill, drill judging, drill rifle, drill team, drillamerica, driller, drillmaster, exhibition drill, explorer post, fancy drill, freestyle drill, honor guard, judging, military drill judge, WDA 2 Comments »

by DrillMaster

Tulane 2012 Solo Commentaries

February 21, 2012 in Commentary, Drill Teams, Instructional

The Mardis Gras Drill Meet at Tulane University 2012 was a great success! I was there judging solos. There were 12 competitors and all did a great job. The cadets from West Point, University of South Carolina NROTC and Norwich all pulled away from the others with great routines. I forgot my digital voice recorder, but used my Android phone’s voice recorder and it worked extremely well! However, there was one issue: dead battery by the last routine. No problem, a young lady from Norwich University was able to step up with her Android phone and let me use her voice recorder for Preston Huntington’s routine. That’s why you only see 11 of the commentaries.

It was great to see not only the solos, but with the big breaks in between the performances, some platoon XD performances as well. Some of the schools displayed variations in timing and step style and showed a concerted effort in programing and orientation (nicely done USAFA!!).

The great thing about Tulane this year was the introduction of the World Drill Association Adjudication System as a parallel to the standard judging system used. Solos were given the opportunity to hear professional adjudication feedback

I also enjoyed speaking with the teams, soloists, parents and instructors as well as some of the great Marine judges from Paris Island.

The day was also a good learning experience. Right Mr. Waddington?

Below are the links to the commentaries (automatic download).

Tulane: http://www.mediafire.com/?lua9e9vf8ecq120

Citidel 2: http://www.mediafire.com/?6qa9m3vm9c72x89

USMMA: http://www.mediafire.com/?qr3bd5dcxq5cbaq

TAMU: http://www.mediafire.com/?e5eucaapndscc7k

UT Austin 2: http://www.mediafire.com/?lejm7e4kgmgede4

UT Austin 1: http://www.mediafire.com/?uy08jqjhbjqjxgc

West Point: http://www.mediafire.com/?tc4d342v922ijtf

University of Florida: http://www.mediafire.com/?dvimvvujbrj9ry3

University of South Carolina: http://www.mediafire.com/?7yt574wco0ox2zw

Citidel 1: http://www.mediafire.com/?t38b1tqhcbhyce2

Tags: air force, army, coast guard, commentary, daisy, drill, drill rifle, drill team, drillamerica, driller, drillmaster, exhibition drill, explorer post, fancy drill, freestyle drill, judging, marines, navy, precision drill, WDA No Comments »

by DrillMaster

Eyes Right for a Color Team

January 21, 2012 in Ask DrillMaster, Honor Guard, Instructional

Click here for info on “Color Guard” vs. “Color Team.”

The Question:
Hello, I’m in an Army JROTC and I have a Federal Inspection coming up. I’m doing the color guard for the AFI and I wondering on what to do during eyes, right. Do I salute the rifle like this picture? Or do I just look to the right and keep marching and it’s just only the flag saluting? If you could reply back to me, I’d appreciate it.
Thank you very much

The Answer:
What a great picture you’ve found! Judging by the uniform, you’ve found a WWI-era Manual of Arms pic, possibly a Boy Scout maybe a Soldier. I really enjoy the history of how certain movements came about that we use today.

This picture, at right, is actually how one salutes, individually- not in a formation, when at Right Shoulder. And, as we all know, the right forearm should be horizontal and not at an angle like in this picture.

So, on with the answer: The Command, Eyes, RIGHT is called at Right Shoulder as two consecutive right steps are taken. When the next left foot strikes the ground, the following happens all at the same time:
1. The Left Rifle Guard, all non-national Color Bearers and National Color Bearer all turn their heads 45-degrees to the right; the Right Rifle Guard looks straight ahead and acts as the guide for the team.
2. The non-national Color Bearer brings his/her color to a 45-degree angle be fully extending the right arm in the three steps after the command (this is what we do on the honor guard), whipping the flag forward in one count does not look appropriate (you are not supposed to whip a color forward when standing still, so don’t do it when marching).

On the command, Ready, FRONT, the team snaps its heads back to looking straight forward and the non-national color bearer(s) bring their colors back to vertical in three steps.

Note: for honor guard, all team members do not swing their arms and shoulders are touching when marching. When halted the team should maintain a 4-inch distance between shoulders to facilitate equipment movement (going to Order, Right Shoulder or Present, etc.). Keep your free arm hanging at your side: you should feel your thigh move back and forth- do not move your hand with the seam of the trousers forward and backward when marching nor up and down when Marking Time. Keep that arm just like at Attention, not locked, but slightly stiffened.

Let me know if you need more info!

Tags: color guard, color guard procedures, color team, drill, drillmaster, eyes right, honor guard, precision drill, regulation drill No Comments »

by DrillMaster

The DrillMaster Product Review: The CTA M14

January 15, 2012 in Announcements, Commentary, Drill Teams, Honor Guard, Instructional, Review

The CTA M14

Combat Training Aids created one solid piece of urethane and metal, the perfect choice for Drillers! Check out the video here at the DrillMaster Training YouTube Channel:

Tags: air force, army, coast guard, color guard, drill, drill rifle, drill team, driller, drillmaster, exhibition drill, fancy drill, freestyle drill, honor guard, m1 garand, m14, m1903, marines, navy, precision drill No Comments »

The DrillMaster

You are browsing the archive for drillmaster.

DrillMaster’s Guide to Life

The Logos of the DrillMaster and WDA

Join the Drill Evolution!

The Process of Certification

Does Drill Team Style Matter to Win?

DrillMaster at Daytona

The DrillMaster Training Bayonet

This is not the only product coming from Combat Training Aids and The DrillMaster. Stay tuned, there is more to come!

How to Become a Certified Visual Judge

Tulane 2012 Solo Commentaries

Eyes Right for a Color Team

The DrillMaster Product Review: The CTA M14

Glendale Parade Store Code!

Connect with The DrillMaster

DrillCenter eMagazine

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