Senior Member Question

[SeanMeister]

Hi all, I am thinking about re-joining CAP as a Senior Member. Is it fairly common for Seniors to do as much Drill and Ceremonies as the Cadets do? I've only ever been part of one Squadron so I do not know how others are! Thanks!

[lordmonar]

No....unlike cadets there is no "requirement" for seniors to learn any drill and ceremonies as part of the Senior Program.

You will need to know how to salute, stand at attention and other very basic moves....but that is it.

I should caveat that with "In My Experience".....I'm sure that there are units out there who do a lot more drill with seniors.

[SeanMeister]

So essentially, if the Squadron were to participate in a local parade or something..only the Cadets would march? That makes me kind of sad..I like marching!

[LSThiker]

Generally speaking, yes.  However, there is not anything that restricts SMs from marching.

[lordmonar]

Again.....different places do things differently.

I have seen some senior units "march" in a parade......the cadets just in front of them did it better....but there is nothing stopping a unit from doing a drill class and learning how the cadets do it.....except interest, time, etc. 

[Storm Chaser]

If you plan to work with cadets, it's a good idea to be familiar with drill and ceremonies. Otherwise, you only need to know the basics.

[SeanMeister]

Now going off of Seniors being able to march..would there be a "correct" way to do it? Who leads? Who calls commands..do the cadets since they are generally more experienced?

[lordmonar]

Now going off of Seniors being able to march..would there be a "correct" way to do it? Who leads? Who calls commands..do the cadets since they are generally more experienced?

Depends on the situation, how formal you want to be, the venue of the marching.

If you want to be "correct".  It would the commander who calls the commands and leads the squadron.

If you got Cadets and Seniors in your unit....you could split them into a cadet flight and a senior flight with the CDS (Deputy Commander for Seniors) leading the Senior Flight and either the CDC (Deputy Commander of Cadets) or the C/CC (Cadet Commander) leading the Cadet Flight.

Alternately you could also form into a single formation led by the commander.

Having said that.....there is really no reason why the most experienced person could not do the job.....even if he was just a cadet.   We do that all the time in CAP as well as on active duty (that drills about as much as CAP does once you get out of tech school).

P.S.   AD USAF does does some really weird thing when trying to drill.......it is hilarious sometimes. 

[SeanMeister]

Hmm..that's very interesting! Thanks!

[Mitchell 1969]

I've seen some attempts by SMs to join in non-CAP event marching efforts. I've rarely seen it look other than ....odd.

"Next in our parade, ladies and gentlemen, East Swinebladder Cadet Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol...." Then comes a banner, maybe a color guard, cadets in formation and....2-3 people in gray trousers sort of tagging along.

[MajorM]

Nothing stopping seniors from marching.  AFMAN 36-2203 is your source of guidance.  Though even as a former cadet I rarely march.  I teach drill frequently but parade marching not so much. 

[SeanMeister]

So basically, if Seniors were to march..it'll look better if we're all wearing the same uniform, right?

[Storm Chaser]

So basically, if Seniors were to march..it'll look better if we're all wearing the same uniform, right?

If you're referring to something like a parade, then yes, it would look much better if everyone is wearing the same uniform. Otherwise, it doesn't really matter. Not every SM can wear the same uniform and that shouldn't affect their participation in a formation.

That said, while Drill and Ceremony (D&C) has it's place in CAP, it's not really part of the Senior Member Program. Other than those SMs directly instructing or evaluating cadets in D&C, there's no need for SMs to learn or practice drill beyond the basics (attention, parade rest, present arms, facing movements, etc.).

There are squadrons that include SMs in their opening formation and such, but most SMs will never have to march in CAP. Even officers in the military don't usually do drill beyond the occasional formation for a change of command or award ceremony (and most of these are done in auditoriums where formations are not feasible).

Is there a reason you have so much interest in SMs doing D&C?

[SeanMeister]

Thank you so much for the information!
And no, there isn't really a reason! I just like marching! It's probably all of the marching band I've done( I even do that in college!)

[SarDragon]

You can take the boy out of the band, but you can't take the band out of the boy. I was a cadet, and also in marching band, and I still love a parade.

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

My first (and best) squadron did, almost as much as cadets.

We met in an Armed Forces Reserve Centre with a very nice drill hall, and the Army National Guard graciously gave us virtually unlimited use of it.

We had formation before every meeting, with commanders of senior and cadet flights reporting to the unit CC, standing to attention and reporting that their flight was present and accounted for.

One big asset we had was a member who was a TSgt in the Air Force Reserve.  He was THE go-to guy for drill and C&C.

[SeanMeister]

No sir, you can't take the band out of me! Especially with me being involved with the band fraternity!
Anyways, I really hope the squadron I decide to join ends up being one that's heavy on drill!

[Storm Chaser]

To what end? If you're really into drill, you can help with the Cadet Programs, in which drill is a requirement. That said, drill is but one small part of the Cadet Programs. Too much drill and you risk neglecting other important areas of the program; there's just not enough CAP hours in a month to focus on that.

As far a SMs doing drill goes, while there's nothing wrong with it per se, it's not something that they should be focusing on either. The return on investment is just not there. Members' limited (and valuable) time would be better spent learning ES skills, learning their staff duty specialties, doing professional development and working for the squadron, not drilling.

[Eclipse]

To what end? If you're really into drill, you can help with the Cadet Programs, in which drill is a requirement. That said, drill is but one small part of the Cadet Programs. Too much drill and you risk neglecting other important areas of the program; there's just not enough CAP hours in a month to focus on that.

As far a SMs doing drill goes, while there's nothing wrong with it per se, it's not something that they should be focusing on either. The return on investment is just not there. Members' limited (and valuable) time would be better spent learning ES skills, learning their staff duty specialties, doing professional development and working for the squadron, not drilling.

+1 Beyond insuring cadets can move enmasse without anyone getting injured, know some facing movements, and can stand at
attention properly, much more then that is usually an indication of a staffer who didn't prepare, so it's "drill night".

Cut that by 80% for seniors in the average unit, so don't be too disappointed if you hear crickets when you raise the question.

[THRAWN]

Depends on the unit, really. I commanded a squadron on an Air Force base. The AD wing commander would often invite us to participate in parades and events. We had a drill component for all hands built into our meeting schedule. It was nice to be able to go out with a group of seniors and cadets and be confident that we knew how to march and do movements by the book. I've been in other units that looked at drills a strictly cadets only activity...