Question re length of a marching pace

Started by Grumpy, March 17, 2009, 06:19:37 PM

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Grumpy

March 17, 2009, 06:19:37 PM
I seem to recall, back in the day, that the length of a pace was 30".  Since I came back to CAP I find it is 28".  Was this done by CAP to shorten the stride for the cadets or has the military shortened the measurement too?

Just curious.  I hope what happened to the cat doesn't happen to me.  I use this stuff for trivia questions at the squadron.

jimmydeanno

#1
March 17, 2009, 06:23:16 PM
Grumpy,

Actually, according to AFM 36-2203 a pace is 24".  I've been in CAP 12 years and it's always been 24" for me.

The Army has a longer pace than the Air Force at a faster cadence as well.
If you have ten thousand regulations you destroy all respect for the law. - Winston Churchill

capchiro

#2
March 17, 2009, 06:58:43 PM
This lack of uniformity among the services has to stop..(Tongue in cheek all)..
Lt. Col. Harry E. Siegrist III, CAP
Commander
Sweetwater Comp. Sqdn.
GA154

BuckeyeDEJ

#3
March 17, 2009, 07:03:37 PM
What was all that talk about the 36-inch step, then?

(scratching head)


CAP since 1984: Lt Col; former C/Lt Col; MO, MRO, MS, IO; former sq CC/CD/PA; group, wing, region PA, natl cmte mbr, nat'l staff member.
REAL LIFE: Working journalist in SPG, DTW (News), SRQ, PIT (Trib), 2D1, WVI, W22; editor, desk chief, designer, photog, columnist, reporter, graphics guy, visual editor, but not all at once. Now a communications manager for an international multisport venue.

Grumpy

#4
March 17, 2009, 07:10:21 PM
Quote from: jimmydeanno on March 17, 2009, 06:23:16 PM
Grumpy,

Actually, according to AFM 36-2203 a pace is 24".  I've been in CAP 12 years and it's always been 24" for me.

The Army has a longer pace than the Air Force at a faster cadence as well.

Interesting, you'd think that having evolved from the Army our paces would be the same.

SarDragon

#5
March 17, 2009, 07:17:24 PM
Quote from: BuckeyeDEJ on March 17, 2009, 07:03:37 PM
What was all that talk about the 36-inch step, then?

(scratching head)

36-inch? Where? When? I'm 5'10" with long legs and that's a stretch for me.

CAPM 50-3, 2nd Ed. 1967 (the Leadership Lab manual), sez 30", heel to heel. That's the same thing I learned in marching band around the same time. And come to think of it, that's what the Navy taught me a few years later. I wonder why and when it changed.

The Double Time step is 36".
Dave Bowles
Maj, CAP
AT1, USN Retired
50 Year Member
Mitchell Award (unnumbered)
C/WO, CAP, Ret

jimmydeanno

#6
March 17, 2009, 07:18:29 PM Last Edit: March 17, 2009, 07:21:47 PM by jimmydeanno
We had a parent at my last squadron that was a W4 and quite the type A personality.  He came over to me one day yelling at me about how our cadets were marching incorrectly.  "30 inch pace at 120-140 steps a minute!" he says, "They're marching way too slow!"

CAP & USAF, 24 inch step - 100-120 steps per minute.  Seems we're not in too much of a hurry to get anywhere :)
If you have ten thousand regulations you destroy all respect for the law. - Winston Churchill

Grumpy

#7
March 17, 2009, 07:23:41 PM
Quote from: SarDragon on March 17, 2009, 07:17:24 PM
Quote from: BuckeyeDEJ on March 17, 2009, 07:03:37 PM
What was all that talk about the 36-inch step, then?

(scratching head)

36-inch? Where? When? I'm 5'10" with long legs and that's a stretch for me.

CAPM 50-3, 2nd Ed. 1967 (the Leadership Lab manual), sez 30", heel to heel. That's the same thing I learned in marching band around the same time. And come to think of it, that's what the Navy taught me a few years later. I wonder why and when it changed.

The Double Time step is 36".

Hey Dave,  are you saying I'm not losing it after all?

davedove

#8
March 17, 2009, 07:33:09 PM Last Edit: March 17, 2009, 09:08:51 PM by MIKE
Quote from: Grumpy on March 17, 2009, 07:10:21 PM
Interesting, you'd think that having evolved from the Army our paces would be the same.

Well, you know them flyboys are soft and can't walk as well as the grunts. ;D

Quote from: jimmydeanno on March 17, 2009, 07:18:29 PM
CAP & USAF, 24 inch step - 100-120 steps per minute.  Seems we're not in too much of a hurry to get anywhere :)

Of course not, if we're in a hurry, we fly. 8)
David W. Dove, Maj, CAP
Deputy Commander for Seniors
Personnel/PD/Asst. Testing Officer
Ground Team Leader
Frederick Composite Squadron
MER-MD-003

BuckeyeDEJ

#9
March 17, 2009, 07:52:28 PM
Quote from: davedove on March 17, 2009, 07:33:09 PM
Quote from: jimmydeanno on March 17, 2009, 07:18:29 PM
CAP & USAF, 24 inch step - 100-120 steps per minute.  Seems we're not in too much of a hurry to get anywhere :)

Of course not, if we're in a hurry, we fly. 8)

Or we hop in one of our signature 15-passenger long 12-passenger vans....


CAP since 1984: Lt Col; former C/Lt Col; MO, MRO, MS, IO; former sq CC/CD/PA; group, wing, region PA, natl cmte mbr, nat'l staff member.
REAL LIFE: Working journalist in SPG, DTW (News), SRQ, PIT (Trib), 2D1, WVI, W22; editor, desk chief, designer, photog, columnist, reporter, graphics guy, visual editor, but not all at once. Now a communications manager for an international multisport venue.

Al Sayre

#10
March 18, 2009, 08:35:02 PM
Quote from: SarDragon on March 17, 2009, 07:17:24 PM
Quote from: BuckeyeDEJ on March 17, 2009, 07:03:37 PM
What was all that talk about the 36-inch step, then?

(scratching head)

36-inch? Where? When? I'm 5'10" with long legs and that's a stretch for me.

CAPM 50-3, 2nd Ed. 1967 (the Leadership Lab manual), sez 30", heel to heel. That's the same thing I learned in marching band around the same time. And come to think of it, that's what the Navy taught me a few years later. I wonder why and when it changed.

The Double Time step is 36".

Ditto here, I found it a bit confusing when I came back to CAP.   I have trouble getting my cadets to slow down and take smaller steps, the 24"step just seems unnatural to me...
Lt Col Al Sayre
MS Wing Staff Dude
Admiral, Great Navy of the State of Nebraska
GRW #2787

Always Ready

#11
March 18, 2009, 09:52:07 PM
It seems unnatural for me too. I'm 6'2" and my normal stride is upwards of 30" (I haven't measured it in a few years). I'm glad I went SM when I did because I could never get my stride short enough for everyone else.

Larry Mangum

#12
March 18, 2009, 10:17:31 PM
When I went through basic training at lackland many moons ago, they still taught the 30" step, which was find for a all guy flight.  However once I got to Tech school at Lowry and we had mixed flights, the women could not keep up with the guys. I suspect that is why the Air Force changed the step.
Larry Mangum, Lt Col CAP
DCS, Operations
SWR-SWR-001

Pingree1492

#13
March 19, 2009, 01:36:12 AM Last Edit: March 19, 2009, 01:37:16 AM by MIKE
Quote from: SarDragon on March 17, 2009, 07:17:24 PMCAPM 50-3, 2nd Ed. 1967 (the Leadership Lab manual), sez 30", heel to heel. That's the same thing I learned in marching band around the same time. And come to think of it, that's what the Navy taught me a few years later. I wonder why and when it changed.

The Double Time step is 36".

Since no one has yet explicitly mentioned it... the 24 inches is measured Heel to heel.

And Double Time is 30", again measured heel to heel.
On CAP Hiatus- the U.S. Army is kindly letting me play with some of their really cool toys (helicopters) in far off, distant lands  :)

Grumpy

#14
March 19, 2009, 07:44:05 PM
Quote from: Al Sayre on March 18, 2009, 08:35:02 PM
Quote from: SarDragon on March 17, 2009, 07:17:24 PM
Quote from: BuckeyeDEJ on March 17, 2009, 07:03:37 PM
What was all that talk about the 36-inch step, then?

(scratching head)

36-inch? Where? When? I'm 5'10" with long legs and that's a stretch for me.

CAPM 50-3, 2nd Ed. 1967 (the Leadership Lab manual), sez 30", heel to heel. That's the same thing I learned in marching band around the same time. And come to think of it, that's what the Navy taught me a few years later. I wonder why and when it changed.

The Double Time step is 36".

Ditto here, I found it a bit confusing when I came back to CAP.   I have trouble getting my cadets to slow down and take smaller steps, the 24"step just seems unnatural to me...

When I'm at encampment, keeping up with my flights, it feels like I'm marching from the knees down.  I have a heck of a time keeping up with it.

BuckeyeDEJ

#15
March 19, 2009, 10:16:23 PM
Quote from: Grumpy on March 19, 2009, 07:44:05 PM
Quote from: Al Sayre on March 18, 2009, 08:35:02 PM
Quote from: SarDragon on March 17, 2009, 07:17:24 PM
Quote from: BuckeyeDEJ on March 17, 2009, 07:03:37 PM
What was all that talk about the 36-inch step, then?

(scratching head)

36-inch? Where? When? I'm 5'10" with long legs and that's a stretch for me.

CAPM 50-3, 2nd Ed. 1967 (the Leadership Lab manual), sez 30", heel to heel. That's the same thing I learned in marching band around the same time. And come to think of it, that's what the Navy taught me a few years later. I wonder why and when it changed.

The Double Time step is 36".

Ditto here, I found it a bit confusing when I came back to CAP.   I have trouble getting my cadets to slow down and take smaller steps, the 24"step just seems unnatural to me...

When I'm at encampment, keeping up with my flights, it feels like I'm marching from the knees down.  I have a heck of a time keeping up with it.

Ah, thanks for clarifying for Mr. Fuzzy Memory.  ;D


CAP since 1984: Lt Col; former C/Lt Col; MO, MRO, MS, IO; former sq CC/CD/PA; group, wing, region PA, natl cmte mbr, nat'l staff member.
REAL LIFE: Working journalist in SPG, DTW (News), SRQ, PIT (Trib), 2D1, WVI, W22; editor, desk chief, designer, photog, columnist, reporter, graphics guy, visual editor, but not all at once. Now a communications manager for an international multisport venue.
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