CAP Cadets can't march!

[Major Lord]

Check out these Japanese kids marching....its almost scary.

http://comedy.video.yahoo.com/?l=3774749&v=8204995

Major Lord

[N Harmon]

So, because a group of Japanese students can precisely step to a very well choreographed march, that means CAP cadets can't march?

Sorry, but I kinda take issue with the thread topic. The purpose of the cadet program is not to create the best marching youth for internet surfers to watch. Drill is a tool for teaching hands-on leadership and teamwork. It is an important tool, but not our only one. And devoting the amount of time that would be necessary to perform at the level shown by those students would seriously compromise other equally important facets of our program.

Don't get me wrong, I think this video is cool. But please do not use it to disparage our cadets.

[Flying Pig]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPJi9DKyQok   :clap:

[manfredvonrichthofen]

It is too bad our cadets HG will never sound like that. The rifles only make that sound because they are still active weapons and everything in them still jiggles and slaps around inside.

[DBlair]

Back in the early/mid 90s, NJ's famed Drill Team did all this (in the Japanese video) and much more...

(One of these days, I'll look through my old DT videotapes and see if I can convert them to DVD or upload to YouTube)

A point that has been discussed recently is how the drill ability/precision of the average Cadet from the 1990s (and earlier) seems to have been much better than those in the program today. I'm not sure why, though.

[manfredvonrichthofen]

Back in the early/mid 90s, NJ's famed Drill Team did all this (in the Japanese video) and much more...

(One of these days, I'll look through my old DT videotapes and see if I can convert them to DVD or upload to YouTube)

A point that has been discussed recently is how the drill ability/precision of the average Cadet from the 1990s (and earlier) seems to have been much better than those in the program today. I'm not sure why, though.

Because D&C is a military aspect of CAP and some hate the idea that CAP has anything to do with the military. Personally I think that more D&C should be done as well as the other military aspects of CAP that have gone by the wayside should be brought back and enforced. For one, Customs and Courtesies should be much higher held than they are now. I don't see cadets or even Senior Members saluting their higher Officers the way they should. I either see a lame half @$$ed attempt at a salute or more commonly none whatsoever and rarely do I even hear the terms Sir or Ma'am. This bugs me to no end when I see this done!

[DBlair]

Back in the early/mid 90s, NJ's famed Drill Team did all this (in the Japanese video) and much more...

(One of these days, I'll look through my old DT videotapes and see if I can convert them to DVD or upload to YouTube)

A point that has been discussed recently is how the drill ability/precision of the average Cadet from the 1990s (and earlier) seems to have been much better than those in the program today. I'm not sure why, though.

Because D&C is a military aspect of CAP and some hate the idea that CAP has anything to do with the military. Personally I think that more D&C should be done as well as the other military aspects of CAP that have gone by the wayside should be brought back and enforced. For one, Customs and Courtesies should be much higher held than they are now. I don't see cadets or even Senior Members saluting their higher Officers the way they should. I either see a lame half @$$ed attempt at a salute or more commonly none whatsoever and rarely do I even hear the terms Sir or Ma'am. This bugs me to no end when I see this done!

Agreed.

[fyrfitrmedic]

Back in the early/mid 90s, NJ's famed Drill Team did all this (in the Japanese video) and much more...

(One of these days, I'll look through my old DT videotapes and see if I can convert them to DVD or upload to YouTube)

A point that has been discussed recently is how the drill ability/precision of the average Cadet from the 1990s (and earlier) seems to have been much better than those in the program today. I'm not sure why, though.

Because D&C is a military aspect of CAP and some hate the idea that CAP has anything to do with the military. Personally I think that more D&C should be done as well as the other military aspects of CAP that have gone by the wayside should be brought back and enforced. For one, Customs and Courtesies should be much higher held than they are now. I don't see cadets or even Senior Members saluting their higher Officers the way they should. I either see a lame half @$$ed attempt at a salute or more commonly none whatsoever and rarely do I even hear the terms Sir or Ma'am. This bugs me to no end when I see this done!

+1

A few years ago I was at a function at Wing HQ and watched cadets literally walk a radius around people so as to avoid rendering a salute... go figure.

[arajca]

That's different. Usually I see cadets space themselves out so the officer has to have his right arm going up and down constantly.

[SarDragon]

It is too bad our cadets HG will never sound like that. The rifles only make that sound because they are still active weapons and everything in them still jiggles and slaps around inside.

Most of that noise comes from hands and slings. It's all a matter of technique. I learned to do that stuff on an ROTC drill team, BITD, and there was very little noise coming from the internals of the rifle (Springfield '03). I will acknowledge that an M-1 or M-14 bolt will make noise that an '03 won't, due to differences in construction, but that is a small part of the overall effect.

[SarDragon]

That's different. Usually I see cadets space themselves out so the officer has to have his right arm going up and down constantly.

It's called windmilling, and I've seen it done by AD folks, too. 

[Ron1319]

Relax, dude, he was just sharing a video link, not trying to be hostile.

So, because a group of Japanese students can precisely step to a very well choreographed march, that means CAP cadets can't march?

Sorry, but I kinda take issue with the thread topic. The purpose of the cadet program is not to create the best marching youth for internet surfers to watch. Drill is a tool for teaching hands-on leadership and teamwork. It is an important tool, but not our only one. And devoting the amount of time that would be necessary to perform at the level shown by those students would seriously compromise other equally important facets of our program.

Don't get me wrong, I think this video is cool. But please do not use it to disparage our cadets.

[RiverAux]

Because D&C is a military aspect of CAP and some hate the idea that CAP has anything to do with the military.

That is dramatically overstating the situation.  I daresay that there isn't a single CAP member that "hates" being associated with the military.  However, there are plenty who simply don't care enough about our military link to take it seriously.  It is real easy for these folks to exist in CAP considering you can be a member without having any need at all to ever wear something recognized by the public as a uniform allowing you to avoid almost all the outward aspects of CAP's version of military life. 

[cap235629]

It is real easy for these folks to exist in CAP considering you can be a member without having any need at all to ever wear something recognized by the public as a uniform allowing you to avoid almost all the outward aspects of CAP's version of military life.

This is a classic, textbook example of how a non-uniform thread becomes one............

[a2capt]

Most of that noise comes from hands and slings. It's all a matter of technique. ...

Yup, me too during jROTC, we had a drill team and color guard where I was the primary rifle for semester worth. As the magic show goes .. it's all in the hands.

[manfredvonrichthofen]

I was on the Ft Campbell HG for a good couple of years, and most of the sound from the rifle came from the rifle, not the hands hitting the rifle.

[lordmonar]

If the recoil spring of the M-1 is good and worn....you get that nice snappy "shink" sound when you bring the rifle to order arms.

It can be simulated with a loose tap plate on the butt of the rifle.

On the order of snappy D&C back in the day compared to today. 

I have to say that in the AF we did not use all that much D&C outside of basic and tech school.  I think we overstress it in CAP but it is what the cadets like.

[manfredvonrichthofen]

Over stress it in CAP? D&C provides a tool to teach and train teamwork and attention to details. In the Army, we marched EVERYWHERE!!! Every morning we had formation, we even ran PT in formation. To the Army it is formation formation formation.

[cap235629]

Over stress it in CAP? D&C provides a tool to teach and train teamwork and attention to details. In the Army, we marched EVERYWHERE!!! Every morning we had formation, we even ran PT in formation. To the Army it is formation formation formation.

Good thing we aren't IN THE ARMY!

[N Harmon]

Relax, dude, he was just sharing a video link, not trying to be hostile.

I applaud your optimism about the intentions of others, however the topic's subject and the fact that it was posted on the "Cadet Programs Management & Activities" board implies it was meant as criticism of our cadets and/or cadet programs officers.

If it was not meant as such, I am sure the original poster will say so.