Command Voice

[CadetColonelToBe]

let's say a girl in CAP wants to be a flight sergeant but she's not sure how to use a command voice... she doesn't want to sound like shes trying to sound like a boy but doesn't want to sound to girly. What should she do?

[bflynn]

Be herself.

Command voice is more about projection, cadence and tone, not about sounding like a boy.

[RogueLeader]

I had a Platoon Leader that definitely had a "command voice."  She did NOT sound like a man (or boy for that matter.)

[abdsp51]

Be herself.

Command voice is more about projection, cadence and tone, not about sounding like a boy.

Partly right your command voice should consist of the following,

1) Loudness
2) Projection
3) Distinctness
4) Inflection
5) Snap

These are what you need per AFMAN36-2203 for your command voice.  Also when you call your commands you give a slight pause between the prepatory andthe execution commands.  And make sure you are projecting from the diaphram and not your throat.

[Eclipse]

Think before you speak.

Do not try to show off, be direct and indicate what you need to happen succinctly.

Look people in the eye.

A low volume with a "business tone" and a "3000 psi stare" can be much more effective then yelling.

[abdsp51]

Think before you speak.

Do not try to show off, be direct and indicate what you need to happen succinctly.

Look people in the eye.

A low volume with a "business tone" and a "3000 psi stare" can be much more effective then yelling.

Mind if I borrow that?

[Eclipse]

All yours - those come from two Lt Cols (1 Army, 1 USAF) for whom I have a lot of respect and who practice what they preach.

[EMT-83]

Think before you speak.

Do not try to show off, be direct and indicate what you need to happen succinctly.

Look people in the eye.

A low volume with a "business tone" and a "3000 psi stare" can be much more effective then yelling.

+1  A command "presence" is at least as important as the command voice. Ever form a first impression about someone, based on how they present themselves?

It can be "wow, he/she really has their stuff together" ... or not.

[coudano]

Partly right your command voice should consist of the following,

1) Loudness
2) Projection
3) Distinctness
4) Inflection
5) Snap

These are what you need per AFMAN36-2203 for your command voice.  Also when you call your commands you give a slight pause between the prepatory andthe execution commands.  And make sure you are projecting from the diaphram and not your throat.

Don't forget 6) Cadence, and you're good.

[abdsp51]

Partly right your command voice should consist of the following,

1) Loudness
2) Projection
3) Distinctness
4) Inflection
5) Snap

These are what you need per AFMAN36-2203 for your command voice.  Also when you call your commands you give a slight pause between the prepatory andthe execution commands.  And make sure you are projecting from the diaphram and not your throat.

Don't forget 6) Cadence, and you're good.

Per AFMAN cadence is not a characteristic it is the measure or beat of the movement  AFMAN 36-2203 2.4.1 for cadence and 2.3 for voice characteristics. 

[coudano]

Hmm, yeah i'll buy that.
I always thought of cadence as included with the others, but it certainly is a different section from the chracteristics.

Probably because of the intro paragraph:  "It is given in a tone, cadence, and snap that demand a willing, correct, and immediate response. "

[CadetColonelToBe]

thank you everyone

[AngelWings]

The best advice (other than be yourself) is to practice. Your voice needs, I repeat, needs to be heard by everyone you are in command of whie you are marching. The only problem I have with girl flight sergeants is when they try to overcompensate for not being as loud (in their minds) as a man, so they yell so loud and high pitched my ears bleed or I can't even hear them (much like a dog whistle). Listen to male and female drill sergeants, instructors, MTI's, and whatever the Navy and Coast Guard call their military training instructors. They are not loud, they are commanding and stern voice that is clear and concise.

[CadetColonelToBe]

The best advice (other than be yourself) is to practice. Your voice needs, I repeat, needs to be heard by everyone you are in command of whie you are marching. The only problem I have with girl flight sergeants is when they try to overcompensate for not being as loud (in their minds) as a man, so they yell so loud and high pitched my ears bleed or I can't even hear them (much like a dog whistle). Listen to male and female drill sergeants, instructors, MTI's, and whatever the Navy and Coast Guard call their military training instructors. They are not loud, they are commanding and stern voice that is clear and concise.

thanks i just want people to take me seriously when I'm drilling a flight.

[SarDragon]

Other sources for info on voice control are the choir folks, and the drama club. They have similar issues.

[AngelWings]

The best advice (other than be yourself) is to practice. Your voice needs, I repeat, needs to be heard by everyone you are in command of whie you are marching. The only problem I have with girl flight sergeants is when they try to overcompensate for not being as loud (in their minds) as a man, so they yell so loud and high pitched my ears bleed or I can't even hear them (much like a dog whistle). Listen to male and female drill sergeants, instructors, MTI's, and whatever the Navy and Coast Guard call their military training instructors. They are not loud, they are commanding and stern voice that is clear and concise.

thanks i just want people to take me seriously when I'm drilling a flight.

The command voice is the least of your worries. I was a Flight Sgt. just a few weeks ago, ending a few month streak as one, and now I am deputy commander. The best way of being taken seriously is to earn the respect of who you are drilling. Respect comes with time, and discipline. Hopefully you do not have any sexist men in your unit, and (as a guy who takes human rights and respect very seriously) if you do, tell them to stop the attitude, and if they do not, then go to a Senior immediately (I would say go through the CoC, but sexism is not well corrected by other cadets, and the matter is extremely serious).

If you want some tips on earning respect from your flight, message me.

[EMT-83]

The very first CAP cadet I met was female, the Cadet CC. She stood not quite five feet tall, and made no attempt to sound like a drill sergeant. There was, however, absolutely no question as to who was in charge.

[AngelWings]

The very first CAP cadet I met was female, the Cadet CC. She stood not quite five feet tall, and made no attempt to sound like a drill sergeant. There was, however, absolutely no question as to who was in charge.

They are the preachers and teachers of their services C&C and D&C, among many other things. They are supposed to represent their services cadence and command voice (with maybe exception given to the USMC).

[SarDragon]

Huh?

[coudano]

I have often tried to explain the command voice to cadets having trouble getting it this way;

Think of your mom, yelling up the stairs, for you to get downstairs NOW for some reason.
That quality that makes you cringe or even wakes you up from being asleep, or makes you cringe or even wince a little...
(some moms are better at this than others, eh  so experience may vary)
Even if YOUR mom doesn't do this, you have probably heard it somewhere else, at some other time...


But if you think about the clarity of that voice in terms of  loudness, projection, distinctiveness, inflection, snap (and cadence) it IS the command voice...  And it's not "male" at all.

[CadetColonelToBe]

I have often tried to explain the command voice to cadets having trouble getting it this way;

Think of your mom, yelling up the stairs, for you to get downstairs NOW for some reason.
That quality that makes you cringe or even wakes you up from being asleep, or makes you cringe or even wince a little...
(some moms are better at this than others, eh  so experience may vary)
Even if YOUR mom doesn't do this, you have probably heard it somewhere else, at some other time...


But if you think about the clarity of that voice in terms of  loudness, projection, distinctiveness, inflection, snap (and cadence) it IS the command voice...  And it's not "male" at all.

Thanks never thought of that. =)

[Danger]

Another thing- MAKE SURE cadets can understand you. I was once drilled by someone and I had no idea what he was saying. It's no fun for anyone, make sure what you say is understandable.

[abdsp51]

It's called distinction and was posted earlier in the thread.

[AngelWings]

Another thing- MAKE SURE cadets can understand you. I was once drilled by someone and I had no idea what he was saying. It's no fun for anyone, make sure what you say is understandable.

That's how it suppose to be! Ever hear the Marines call cadence? Or a MTI who lost his/her voice?

[coudano]

It's called distinction and was posted earlier in the thread.

distinctiveness i think is what you are going for here

[coudano]

Ever hear the Marines call cadence?

yeh they sing it like a song, don't they

Or a MTI who lost his/her voice?

yep.  we did a lot of push ups while he was too tired to yell

[abdsp51]

It's called distinction and was posted earlier in the thread.

distinctiveness i think is what you are going for here

Yeah that's what I was going for.

[Major Lord]

I can't remember the number of times I have attended a BCS, encampment, etc. and had the entire staff croaking like frogs after the first day- you can "burn" your vocal cords out, and no spit, do some serious damage to your voice by just shrieking for hours at a time. This type of vocal projection needs training and coaching by a qualified person. You could spend the rest of your life sounding like Clint Eastwood on 5 packs of Marlboroughs a day if you walk in to an activity fresh, never having trained your voice beforehand. Kind of like boots: You don't wear brand new ones to an activity where you know in advance you are going to use them in earnest! The command voice is used for behavioral conditioning (brain washing) so the animal (cadet) being trained clearly understands when an action needs to take place, and will excute that action as an automatic reflex to the command. If your command voice changes during the day due to vocal fatigue, the animals being conditioned may not respond to your voice. Don't push beyond your limits. Also, don't let your emotions be the source or sustenance of your command voice. By this I mean, the adolescent brain is easily pushed into the state you start out feigning. If you act angry, in other words, you will start to feel angry. Professionalism stems from being able to sound like you may very well eat their liver with fava beans and a nice Chianti, but being able to deliver the message while remaining inwardly calm at all times. The command voice is not simply a function of volume.

Major Lord

[AngelWings]

I can't remember the number of times I have attended a BCS, encampment, etc. and had the entire staff croaking like frogs after the first day- you can "burn" your vocal cords out, and no spit, do some serious damage to your voice by just shrieking for hours at a time. This type of vocal projection needs training and coaching by a qualified person. You could spend the rest of your life sounding like Clint Eastwood on 5 packs of Marlboroughs a day if you walk in to an activity fresh, never having trained your voice beforehand. Kind of like boots: You don't wear brand new ones to an activity where you know in advance you are going to use them in earnest! The command voice is used for behavioral conditioning (brain washing) so the animal (cadet) being trained clearly understands when an action needs to take place, and will excute that action as an automatic reflex to the command. If your command voice changes during the day due to vocal fatigue, the animals being conditioned may not respond to your voice. Don't push beyond your limits. Also, don't let your emotions be the source or sustenance of your command voice. By this I mean, the adolescent brain is easily pushed into the state you start out feigning. If you act angry, in other words, you will start to feel angry. Professionalism stems from being able to sound like you may very well eat their liver with fava beans and a nice Chianti, but being able to deliver the message while remaining inwardly calm at all times. The command voice is not simply a function of volume.

Major Lord

Very well said.

[Garibaldi]

I can't remember the number of times I have attended a BCS, encampment, etc. and had the entire staff croaking like frogs after the first day- you can "burn" your vocal cords out, and no spit, do some serious damage to your voice by just shrieking for hours at a time. This type of vocal projection needs training and coaching by a qualified person. You could spend the rest of your life sounding like Clint Eastwood on 5 packs of Marlboroughs a day if you walk in to an activity fresh, never having trained your voice beforehand. Kind of like boots: You don't wear brand new ones to an activity where you know in advance you are going to use them in earnest! The command voice is used for behavioral conditioning (brain washing) so the animal (cadet) being trained clearly understands when an action needs to take place, and will excute that action as an automatic reflex to the command. If your command voice changes during the day due to vocal fatigue, the animals being conditioned may not respond to your voice. Don't push beyond your limits. Also, don't let your emotions be the source or sustenance of your command voice. By this I mean, the adolescent brain is easily pushed into the state you start out feigning. If you act angry, in other words, you will start to feel angry. Professionalism stems from being able to sound like you may very well eat their liver with fava beans and a nice Chianti, but being able to deliver the message while remaining inwardly calm at all times. The command voice is not simply a function of volume.

Major Lord

Very well said.

I scared the living crap out of the seniors one night. I needed to announce GT training and instead of wasting time with falling out and going to the front of the formation, I bellowed out the information in my best command voice. People 75 yards away heard me and the chaplain, who was standing next to me, told me I cleared out his ears. I learned after my 4th encampment that yelling will rip apart your vocal chords after the first day or two. That was the first year I was on staff, so I really learned my lesson.