Body positions while in formation question

[NHAV8R]

Good morning, last week I was in formation with my squadron while promotions were being awarded. We were at ease which most people interpret as parade rest. After and award was given I see heels going together as if going to the position of attention but instead the clapping begins... :clap:...? I know that you should not speak at parade rest but the command is at ease??? It seems to me that the uncommanded and uncoordinated change of position is sloppy?
I am not losing sleep about this and if that is the way it works so be it...

[MIKE]

3.3.1.2. At Ease. The command is AT EASE. On the command AT EASE, airmen may relax in
a standing position, but they must keep the right foot in place. Their position in the formation will
not change, and silence will be maintained.

[coudano]

Common to see also people will snap to attention from at ease or parade rest to raise their hand to ask a question, or to say something.  It's just an artifact probably from some over-zealous encampment or something.

In a strictly technical sense, the best position for applause is REST.
Because even at ease, silence is maintained.  That doesn't just mean verbal silence...


--That said, common practice in the military for awards and decs is "attention to orders" where people will stand at attention while the awards cite is read, and then people break out into applause afterwards, automatically resuming a rest position (there isn't really a command given for that)

Of course, the center of attention at an award is supposed to be on the person getting the award; why are you looking at peoples' feet?   Eye on the ball hehhh

[NHAV8R]

The ripple of boot heels coming together is what gets my attention. The Marines are really into synchronized movements

[NIN]

The ripple of boot heels coming together is what gets my attention. The Marines are really into synchronized movements

Steve,  thats a CAP thing I've seen over the years, and I think Dano pretty much nearly hit it on the head.

As a cadet, I don't think I was ever told "When standing at parade rest, assume the position of attention before applauding, scratching your nose, coughing, or otherwise doing things you shouldn't be doing at attention, either," but rather, we saw others doing it, so we did it.

Man, that was hard to unlearn.

But the nice SSG with the brown circular brimmed hat was more than happy to inform me, upon my execution of such a movement, that I was:
a) incorrect;
b) apparently the sole surviving sibling of my family;
c) born out of wedlock;
d) lacking in the basic level intellect generally ascribed to single-cell organisms;
and
e) so woefully out of shape that I required additional exercise.

Suffice to say, I stopped doing that. But strangely: CAP made me do it more later on.

Odd.

[SarDragon]

Interesting.

I learned the same thing in the Navy - the only position you could go to from Parade Rest was Attention. That fell right in with my CAP training from my cadet days. Both of these occurred in the '60s. Things may have changed since then.

[ol'fido]

The way I recall being taught was that you could go from attention to parade rest to at ease and finally to at rest in that order. In at ease and at rest, you had to be able to get instantly into the position of parade rest if you heard a prep. command such as "Flight" or "Squadron". If you were at rest, for example, and the formation commander wanted you to be at parade rest, then you would have to go back to attention first. IOW, you could go down the scale without going to attention first but not up. I think?

[1LtNurseOfficer]

IOW, you could go down the scale without going to attention first but not up. I think?

That's the way I remember it (USAR/USANG, cira 1988).