No More NCC

[NIN]

Way back in the shadows of my cadet days was something called the "54 Command Drill Sequence". It was as it stated a sequence of 54 drill commands that a flight would perform. It covered nearly every possible drill command that was in the standard drill manual. The flight would start in a designated location and if they did the sequence right and with the proper timing they would end up in the exact same spot they started out in. That sounds like something that everyone could shoot for.

Indeed.

We used to do something similar at MI Wing's CLS: there was a drill test at the end of the week and everybody got plenty of time on the drill pad to march the flight around. IIRC, it wasn't the old NCC "54 commands," but it was pretty close.

The first year I helped run CLS, I got the cadets out on the hardpan and talked to them about what the drill test would entail at the end of the week. I then put rock near the 1st element leader's foot and proceeded to march them through the entire command sequence without reference  (I had a notecard held out of sight in my hand that I consulted when I was behind them, but I knew the whole thing cold) and when they halted and faced back into line formation at the very end, the 1st element leader and that rock were about 6" apart. 

(I wasn't showing off, I was demonstrating the concept of "expert power" as it pertains to leadership powers which they were having a class on the next day. Nothing like a nice fresh example for your class...LOL)

I was actually picturing something that looked like the field from that show "Wipeout" (big brightly colored obstacles) and thing that moved.  Like, you know, "Cadet Frogger".. LOL!

Have a football field sized area, with fixed and moveable obstacles. Every team gets a slightly different experience.  Start in one end zone, wind up in the opposite end zone. Don't get hit by the moving obstacles, don't hit the fixed ones, stay in step.  GO!

Best time (with penalties for obstacle contact, incorrectly given commands, incorrectly executed commands, and getting out of step, etc) wins.

[PHall]

We used to do the 54 commands for the Drill Comp at the CAWG Encampment.
You had to memorize it when I was a cadet.
For some reason we don't use it anymore...

[lordmonar]

BITD When I was a Rope at Tech School (that's a student Leader to you not USAF types) we had a 5 day (two-three hours a day) course on how to march and some basic leadership stuff.

Our final exam included a drilling a flight in a pre-printed square.

You had to use all the normal commands used to move students from the dorms to the school house and open ranks.

I still have my books in storage....I will get them out this week and scan the drill commands and diagram and post them here.

[Mitchell 1969]

We used to do the 54 commands for the Drill Comp at the CAWG Encampment.
You had to memorize it when I was a cadet.
For some reason we don't use it anymore...

It got dropped for several reasons, starting with time crunch for learning and practicing the sequence, ending with lack of time to evaluate 10 or so flights performing them. Something had to give and D&C reverted to "troop handling" emphasis. Fair enough, really, as encampment isn't set up to train drill teams and the 54 commands can be learned/practiced elsewhere.

[PHall]

We used to do the 54 commands for the Drill Comp at the CAWG Encampment.
You had to memorize it when I was a cadet.
For some reason we don't use it anymore...

It got dropped for several reasons, starting with time crunch for learning and practicing the sequence, ending with lack of time to evaluate 10 or so flights performing them. Something had to give and D&C reverted to "troop handling" emphasis. Fair enough, really, as encampment isn't set up to train drill teams and the 54 commands can be learned/practiced elsewhere.

We still have the Squadron and Group Drill Comps where all of the flights (we had 13 this year) have to be judged, some more then once.
And yes the 54 commands was dropped and replaced with 75 commands.
Ref: CAWG ETM, Chap 10.

[Mitchell 1969]

We used to do the 54 commands for the Drill Comp at the CAWG Encampment.
You had to memorize it when I was a cadet.
For some reason we don't use it anymore...

It got dropped for several reasons, starting with time crunch for learning and practicing the sequence, ending with lack of time to evaluate 10 or so flights performing them. Something had to give and D&C reverted to "troop handling" emphasis. Fair enough, really, as encampment isn't set up to train drill teams and the 54 commands can be learned/practiced elsewhere.

We still have the Squadron and Group Drill Comps where all of the flights (we had 13 this year) have to be judged, some more then once.
And yes the 54 commands was dropped and replaced with 75 commands.
Ref: CAWG ETM, Chap 10.

Brought 'em back, and then some!

[welsh]

I thought the 54 commands were dropped because of NER and claims of the team being able to march them without the commander saying a word (i.e. X number of steps between column right, forward, close, forward, extend, forward, column right, forward). Basically like today's innovative drill routines.

I bet CAP has no beef spending $130k on cadet programs; the beef is about the impact and reach of the whole NCC. Participation sucks. Has sucked since the 60's.

Find a way to get more units involved. Retool it to better measure today's cadet program. Make the "ZOMG ITS GOING TO TAKE FOREVER TO PREPARE!" perception/reality and change it to something everyunit (or anyunit?) can believe they'll win with minimal extra effort. Participation will explode and that 130K spent will be better invested.

==============================

With all this funding talk, surprised no one is bagging on IACE, which likely costs just as much (if not more) and has even fewer people involved than NCC.

[a2capt]

IACE as been mentioned.

How would NER influence an encampment on the other side of the country, or for that matter ..

Any other one? Drill sequences and commands are not specific to anyone. How else do you have a national standard if you don't publish it. What's wrong with using it, and certainly they can test against a 'hidden' one, by simply revealing it to each team a set amont of minutes prior to their performance, and sequestering the whole bunch until it's each's time to step off.

[welsh]

How would NER influence an encampment on the other side of the country, or for that matter ..

54 commands of standard drill were the same 54 commands every year, year in year out, for all teams competing in NCC. Had / has nothing at all to do with encampment.

Some history here. NER won a bunch of times.. at least 6 in a row, late 80's early 90s. The 54 commands were dropped after that last NER win in that streak (1991 or 1992), and word / rumors from the team members was it was dropped because it was "too easy" and people were tired of NER winning all the time. Part of the charge was the teams could memorize the drill sequence of those 54 commands, even if the commander screwed it up.

Now, that is all hearsay, and could be just how the cadets perceived the decision. Admittedly, this particular group had a very strong "us-vs-them" mentality, adding to the stereotype of "whats wrong with drill teams." But I thought that the ability to memorize the 54 commands was one of the main reasons why they were dropped.

To the earlier comment about 54 commands being too hard to memorize, that was not my experience. I memorized them at my first encampment as an in-flight cadet, and it appeared to me pretty much everyone else there did too

=====
I must've missed the IACE comment in this thread, perhaps it was discussed in a different one?

[Eclipse]

Some history here. NER won a bunch of times.. at least 6 in a row, late 80's early 90s. The 54 commands were dropped after that last NER win in that streak (1991 or 1992), and word / rumors from the team members was it was dropped because it was "too easy" and people were tired of NER winning all the time. Part of the charge was the teams could memorize the drill sequence of those 54 commands, even if the commander screwed it up.

Assuming this were true, every wing would have the same ability.

[Майор Хаткевич]

Some history here. NER won a bunch of times.. at least 6 in a row, late 80's early 90s. The 54 commands were dropped after that last NER win in that streak (1991 or 1992), and word / rumors from the team members was it was dropped because it was "too easy" and people were tired of NER winning all the time. Part of the charge was the teams could memorize the drill sequence of those 54 commands, even if the commander screwed it up.

Assuming this were true, every wing would have the same ability.

+1

And assuming it was true...wouldn't it be obvious if/when the commander was early/late on calling a command, and the team did the right move anyway?

[coudano]

Some history here. NER won a bunch of times.. at least 6 in a row, late 80's early 90s. The 54 commands were dropped after that last NER win in that streak (1991 or 1992), and word / rumors from the team members was it was dropped because it was "too easy" and people were tired of NER winning all the time. Part of the charge was the teams could memorize the drill sequence of those 54 commands, even if the commander screwed it up.

Assuming this were true, every wing would have the same ability.

+1

And assuming it was true...wouldn't it be obvious if/when the commander was early/late on calling a command, and the team did the right move anyway?

Well of course hat's exactly what they're supposed to do, per 36-2203 "to the best of their ability" (which seems like it should be pretty good for a national drill team, right?)

[Mitchell 1969]

Some history here. NER won a bunch of times.. at least 6 in a row, late 80's early 90s. The 54 commands were dropped after that last NER win in that streak (1991 or 1992), and word / rumors from the team members was it was dropped because it was "too easy" and people were tired of NER winning all the time. Part of the charge was the teams could memorize the drill sequence of those 54 commands, even if the commander screwed it up.

As a long-time ago CA Wing drill comp judge, realizing that the 54 commands could be done without any direction by the commander, I had daydreams of a team showing up, reporting for judging and a cadet setting up a folding chair, commander taking a seat and reading a newspaper until the 54 commands ended.

[drachen003]

Some history here. NER won a bunch of times.. at least 6 in a row, late 80's early 90s. The 54 commands were dropped after that last NER win in that streak (1991 or 1992), and word / rumors from the team members was it was dropped because it was "too easy" and people were tired of NER winning all the time. Part of the charge was the teams could memorize the drill sequence of those 54 commands, even if the commander screwed it up.

Concerning history, If anyone wants at least one team's perspective on the NER era of the times being quoted in this thread (late 80s - early 90s), I will direct you to the following link: http://njwg.cap.gov/DDT/INDEX.htm

It's a bit of a long read, but gives some insight into the way this team viewed the competition at that time.

[a2capt]

A long read? All I saw was photos of each year's team. No viewpoints, narratives, or such.

But, a question arrises from that, out of curiosity: Does the "New Jersey Wing Dragon Drill Team" title via the patches and other items become the identity of whichever team wins the Wing competition, or is that a one team from a specific unit, that the cadets will join if they want to do that? I realize it's a small state and could entirely support that. 

[drachen003]

My apologies... the long read starts on the fifth page: http://njwg.cap.gov/DDT/DDTH1.htm and continues for a few more.

The NJ teams are not one specific unit.  They are and have always been a group of cadets that join the activity, which is administered at the Wing Level.  Most units in NJ are not big enough to support a full drill team.

[a2capt]

Ah, I missed the navigation to a further page. Kind of odd down there in the lower corner, past what presents itself as the focal point at the bottom.

[SarDragon]

A long read? All I saw was photos of each year's team. No viewpoints, narratives, or such.

But, a question arrises from that, out of curiosity: Does the "New Jersey Wing Dragon Drill Team" title via the patches and other items become the identity of whichever team wins the Wing competition, or is that a one team from a specific unit, that the cadets will join if they want to do that? I realize it's a small state and could entirely support that.

It's a very clunky arrangement, but if you scroll all the way down on each page, there's a link to the next one in the LR corner. Click through the first couple of pages, and you finally get to some text.

[OldGuard]

NCC for 1991 and 1992 is a sensitive subject for Flying Pig and myself.

An easy band aid would be to send judges to each region and score the cadets on the events. They could score each event (minus panel quiz) and total for National results.

[Eclipse]

NCC for 1991 and 1992 is a sensitive subject for Flying Pig and myself.

An easy band aid would be to send judges to each region and score the cadets on the events. They could score each event (minus panel quiz) and total for National results.

That's actually a really good idea, and/or just have them judged locally by knowledgeable people from other organizations.
There are non-military drill teams all over the place, not to mention military teams, etc.

Send or enter the score somewhere, rinse, repeat.

Local service, national impact.