Drill Games

[cadet zimmerman]

Does anyone have any good fun drill ideas and/or games?

[JoeTomasone]

O'Grady Says.

[lordmonar]

There is speed drill.  Two flights with the same set of commands.

The both start in a gaggle.  The FC falls them in, sizes them up and then marches them around.

Both flights have to exit the drill pad from the same "door" so it turns into a game of chicken in the end. 

[BreakSilence]

Cat & Mouse
Materials:
-Timer

Instructions:
You divide your cadets into two flights (or elements).  One is cat; one is mouse.  Set both elements at different ends of the drill field.  Using only valid drill movements, the cat element must pass through and break the ranks of the mouse element before the time stops.  Then, switch roles and repeat.

Rules:
-Valid drill movements only.
-No running (no fun if you can)

Tank

Materials:
-Timer
-Guidon

Instructions:
Modified version of Cat & Mouse.  Both elements are tanks, i.e. both can be cats.  Both elements need a guidon bearer.  You play the game much like Cat & Mouse, except for one small part.  When the opposing element is in front of you, you "fire" your guidon bearer.  When you "fire" him, everyone else in the element screams, "BAM!" or something creative.  The guidon bearer then immediately points the guidon like a spear over his head and runs toward the opposing element.  Again, like Cat & Mouse, whoever breaks the rank of the other element wins.  Rinse and repeat for as many rounds as you like.  Be sure to switch the cadets who hold the guidon.  Everyone loves to be "fired."

Rules:
-Only guidon bearer can run.
-Guidon bearer can only run when you fire him.
-Obviously, guidon bearer will not spear anyone.

(If you want to be a little more safe, you can put the guidons aside and just have the guidon bearer run like a crazed maniac towards the other element.)

Maze
Materials:
-Tape

Instructions:
Make a random tape maze on the ground.  Using only valid drill movements, have the cadets navigate the maze.  Have only one element at a time else it turns into a mess.  Also, have the cadets not participating take turns calling the commands.  At the end, you critique the performance of both the cadets in the maze and the cadets commanding.

[lordmonar]

Blind Folded Drill.

Form up the element, blind fold them and then execute a few flanking, to the rear, column movements and see how far you can get before break down!

See how well everyone keeps their dress, cover, interval and distance.

[Gunner C]

Maze
Materials:
-Tape

Instructions:
Make a random tape maze on the ground.  Using only valid drill movements, have the cadets navigate the maze.  Have only one element at a time else it turns into a mess.  Also, have the cadets not participating take turns calling the commands.  At the end, you critique the performance of both the cadets in the maze and the cadets commanding.

We did that on "Black Monday" at Officer Silly Walking Candidate School.  Being the enterprising young candidate (and a wise guy) I "gamed the system."  The other candidate stood in front of me as I gave him his instructions:  "When I give you the command 'FALL OUT' I want you fall out and staying between the taped lines fall in at the end.  'FALL OUT!'"

I thought that I was going to do pushups for the rest of my life - Tacs don't have a sense of humor at all. 

[flyguy06]

Maze
Materials:
-Tape

Instructions:
Make a random tape maze on the ground.  Using only valid drill movements, have the cadets navigate the maze.  Have only one element at a time else it turns into a mess.  Also, have the cadets not participating take turns calling the commands.  At the end, you critique the performance of both the cadets in the maze and the cadets commanding.

We did that on "Black Monday" at Officer Silly Walking Candidate School.  Being the enterprising young candidate (and a wise guy) I "gamed the system."  The other candidate stood in front of me as I gave him his instructions:  "When I give you the command 'FALL OUT' I want you fall out and staying between the taped lines fall in at the end.  'FALL OUT!'"

I thought that I was going to do pushups for the rest of my life - Tacs don't have a sense of humor at all. 

Nope. Not until Phase 3 anyway.

[Capt_Redfox30]

Couple I played as a cadet

This one is called Flight Tag, get two flights on opposite ends of the "drill pad" the two flights are basically playing TAG.  Pick one team as the finder and the other as the findy, use a time limit 10 Min or so.   The Flight Commander's drill using proper commands and executions, close in on each other until one team tags the other.  But if the flight messes up a command, say on a column they don't end the command properly and end up being all jumbled up, the flight has to stop and then using proper commands reform up.  This goes on until the lead team catches the other or the time is up.

The other was called knock out.  Form up the flight and just start doing drill commands, when someone messes up, someone calls them out and they are out of the game.  Keep going until you have one cadet left. 

If done properly these can be a lot of fun and build teamwork.     

[NIN]

@#&# Safari on my new (Dell) Mac did something weird while I was typing last night, lost a whole post.

Learned a great "game" for cadets learning how to give commands.  Mind you: this is not intended for use with airmen just learning how to drill, but rather, it is an exercise for junior NCOs to gain and build confidence in giving drill commands.  Has great application at NCOAs and the like.

Take your flight of cadets (this works best with 12-16 cadets) and form them into a loose square facing inward.  Take one cadet and place him at the center.  Have the cadets in the square open up to about triple-arm nterval or so.  (varies by the number of cadets you have available)  You want your box to be 20-30 ft on a side.

The game is who can give the right commands and correctly (on the correct foot, correct command of execution, etc) to the cadet in the center and keep that cadet from going outside the box.

You start with one cadet, and each cadet gives a command in turn going around the box.   When a cadet flubs a command (wrong command, incorrectly given, or the cadet being drilled busts the perimeter), that cadet then replaces the cadet in the center and the exercise continues.

You'll start to see cadets setting each other up with clever commands and getting in to a rhythm, but you'll also see cadets setting their buddy up for failure as they start to get good at it.  Someone will give "Double time" about 3 ft from the perimeter, that kind of thing.

The pace will pick up as the cadets gain comfort in giving commands and you'll start to see them thinking 2-3 commands ahead.

Once they get really good, have each cadet take a step forward, making the box smaller. Continue.

Like I said, this is most appropriate for cadets learning how to give commands and especially how to give commands under pressure. Its definitely not intended for cadets who barely know how to drill or are learning drill.

[Christensen]

it isn't a game but our squad uses 'diddies' occasionally.

When facing movement is called cadets will sound off "cock-drive" on beat.

One count movements (dress right

dress, ready front, present/order arms, at ease, parade rest, attention) is "Snap"

Hand salute is just "one, two"

About face is "tap, slide" (another one you can use is 'trace the C don't bend the knee' but it doesnt' work as well)

This helps cadets stay in beat with the rest of the flight.

Hope it helps!