Drill....Drill...and more Drill

[Jakemiller31u]

So I am stuck at a mass confusion point right now. I've surfed through the AFMAN 36-2203 and can't find anything and I need some answers.

The issue is drilling the flight. My squadron leadership said that when you are marching your flight, you are to stand one pace next to and behind your flight. Now this does not sound right at all.

I didn't ever think there was a mandated place to stand when you were drilling a flight. That is incorrect right? How would I go about approaching the fact that he is wrong?

[lordmonar]

a) If it is not clearly spelled out in the AFMAN.....then he is not wrong.  He is "squadron leadership" which means someone in your chain of command...ergo he has the authority to tell you exactly where to stand.

b)  My rule of thumb is:  If the flight is stationary then you need to be three paces from the first element centered on the flight.  If the flight is in motion you need to be on the side of the flight that offers you the best view for safety and control of the flight.   Approximately 2-3 of the way back.  This allows for you to observe the flight better and helps your flight hear your commands better.

To restate....that is my rule of thumb as far as I know except in formal parades there is no fix location of where the flight leader MUST be positioned.  And since it is not spelled out.....your chain of command can make local policy.

[Jakemiller31u]

He is the flight commander..(just something to put out there)

[coudano]

How would I go about approaching the fact that he is wrong?

Well the first step to approaching someone about being wrong is to be sure that they are actually wrong...  In this case, the flight commander is only partially wrong (he's also partially not wrong).  As you can read in the other thread, 36-2203 doesn't specify. Telling someone they are WRONG about technique or opinion is tricky business, and you can often wind up coming across as the jerk.

Therefore, let's look at what he wants: one step behind and one step left while marching (in column presumably) are you facing the flight then?  Yep.  Are you breaking any other black and white rule?  Nope.  Infact, there are times when marching at that location is practically required (such as just before a left flank).  In these regards he is "not wrong", so approaching him about how wrong he is isn't going to get you very far.

Now let's look at ways that he is "not right", if he's telling you that you HAVE TO  stand there (because the 36-2203 says so) then he is wrong, because it doesn't say that.  If he is insistent that it does, then you could try inviting him to show you in 36-2203 where it says that (he'll be looking for a while because it isn't in there).  You are likely to highlight yourself as a cadet with a little bit of an attitude here, if you don't approach this carefully (caution).

36-2203 doesn't specify.  You can march anywhere you need to march, in order to effectively steer the flight, and you can move around to different positions related to the flight, while marching.  Get where you need to be, to do the job; provided that you are "facing them", and at attention and in-step (36-2203 2.2).



Just so I have the chance to screw up my basic math again (I triple check this time but it's still not out of the question)...  Suppose that you are marching a flight with 12 people in each element.  So the distance from you to the guide is going to be 12" (depth of a person) + 40" (distance between people in column) = 52 x 12 = 624 inches, or 52 feet (to the back of the head of the guide, which is  practically the ears), and a little further because it's diagonal across the rectangle from you to the guide, maybe 4 elements wide).  Can you effectively project your voice to someone a bit over 52 feet away, over 48 people's body movement and footsteps?  Can you effectively see what's coming to steer that "long bus" from back there?  It's probably possible, but might be less than ideal.  Of course it's not against the rules to march directly BEHIND the flight (say, behind the third element leader), or, you might find later, to even march out in front of them...   with you marching backwards...  as long as you are facing them, at attention, and in step

Yeh, so if you are one pace left and behind the flight there'd be another 40" between you and the front, and a 4 element flight is probably a bit over 168" across the elements.  Plus you would be another almost 40" left of the first element.  So that's a rectangle that is 208" x 664".  It's about 696" or 58 feet slant range from you to the guide, from that position.  And there are 48 people in between you.

[MIKE]

Seems to me that your Flight Commander is going off Figure 5.4. Squadron in Column.  Figure 4.3. Flight in Column Formation. does not show the position symbols for the Flight Commander and Flight Sergeant respectively.

See also:

2.2. General Rules for Commands.
2.2.1. When giving commands, the leader is at the position of attention. Good military
bearing is necessary for good leadership. While marching, the leader must be in step with the
formation at all times.
2.2.2. The commander faces the formation when giving commands except when the element
is part of a larger drill element or when the commander is relaying or echoing commands in a
ceremony. When the commander is a member of a staff or detail and is required to perform a
movement at the same time as the formation, the commander will maintain the same position
as the formation while giving commands and will respond to his/her command.