CAP Talk

Cadet Programs => Cadet Programs Management & Activities => Topic started by: Grumpy on March 17, 2009, 06:19:37 PM

Title: Question re length of a marching pace
Post by: Grumpy on 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.
Title: Re: Question re length of a marching pace
Post by: 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.
Title: Re: Question re length of a marching pace
Post by: capchiro on March 17, 2009, 06:58:43 PM
This lack of uniformity among the services has to stop..(Tongue in cheek all)..
Title: Re: Question re length of a marching pace
Post by: BuckeyeDEJ on March 17, 2009, 07:03:37 PM
What was all that talk about the 36-inch step, then?

(scratching head)
Title: Re: Question re length of a marching pace
Post by: Grumpy on 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.
Title: Re: Question re length of a marching pace
Post by: 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".
Title: Re: Question re length of a marching pace
Post by: jimmydeanno on March 17, 2009, 07:18:29 PM
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 :)
Title: Re: Question re length of a marching pace
Post by: Grumpy on 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?
Title: Re: Question re length of a marching pace
Post by: davedove on March 17, 2009, 07:33:09 PM
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)
Title: Re: Question re length of a marching pace
Post by: BuckeyeDEJ on 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....
Title: Re: Question re length of a marching pace
Post by: 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...
Title: Re: Question re length of a marching pace
Post by: Always Ready on 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.
Title: Re: Question re length of a marching pace
Post by: Larry Mangum on 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.
Title: Re: Question re length of a marching pace
Post by: Pingree1492 on March 19, 2009, 01:36:12 AM
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.
Title: Re: Question re length of a marching pace
Post by: 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.
Title: Re: Question re length of a marching pace
Post by: BuckeyeDEJ on 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