Drill team
A drill team can be one of four different entities:
- A military drill team is a marching unit that performs routines based on military foot or exhibition drills. Military drill teams perform either armed or unarmed.
- A dance drill team creates routines based on precision dance movements rather than military drill. These teams usually do not carry anything, but may use props in field production numbers. They may perform to recorded music, or the live music of an accompanying marching band.
- A team that execute routines carrying either one or multiple flags or pom-poms. This team's movements are also based in dance and may also have a heavy influence of gymnastics as well. These teams also may perform to music, either live or recorded.
- A team that is mounted or advances some type of mobile object. May also include teams of dogs and handlers.
Military/police drill team
Canada
The Canadians have the Canadian Cadet Organization, which consists of the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets, Royal Canadian Army Cadets, and the Royal Canadian Air Cadets, all of which have drill competitions throughout the year which are hosted by the Regional Cadet Support Units.Canadian drill competitions consist of the following aspects:
- Fall in
- Drill Team dress and deportment
- Drill Team Commander's dress and deportment
- Compulsory drill procedures at the halt
- Compulsory drill procedures on the march
- Drill performance in a precision routine
Greece
The Hellenic Navy has a precision movement unit called Άγημα Κινήσεων Ακριβείας. It is made up of conscripts and also takes part in the "Μεικτός Λόχος Απόδοσης Τιμών", a tri-service guard of honour composed of servicemen from the Hellenic Army, the Hellenic Navy, and the Hellenic Air Force is maintained as part of the Ministry of National Defence.India
In the Indian Armed Forces, there is currently one unit that is serves as exhibition drill team. This unit, known officially as the Air Warrior Drill Team , was founded in 2004 as part of the Indian Air Force. They commonly perform during the Air Force Day Parade at Tezpur Airport on 8 October.Malta
The Armed Forces of Malta Drill Team and the Malta Police Precision Drill Team serve as the only military drill units in the Republic of Malta. The platoon-sized AFM Drill Team has performed synchronized drill since its revival in August 2014, and is based on the British and Canadian procedures for military drill and exhibition drill. The Malta Police Precision Drill Team, on the other hand, has been performing drill for more than 25 years prior to the establishment of the AFM team. Unlike the AFM team, who carry the FN FAL on parade, the police team carries a Short Magazine Lee–Enfield Mk VI. The platoon consists of 21 policemen, who are selected from the various sections of the Malta Police. Their main appearances include the Malta Military Tattoo and the Republic Day on St. George's Square.Norway
The Norwegian military consist of only one single company sized drill team, consisting of a band and a drill platoon. The team is one of five infantry companies that are assigned the mission to protect His Majesty the King of Norway and the royal family, as well as guarding the Royal Palace. The 3rd company, HMKG are also used to represent the Norwegian armed forces at state-related matters such as state-visits, ceremonies, national festivities, and were also prominent in the Winter World Cup 2010 as guards. As of 2012, His Majesty the King's Guard is also responsible for the safety and defence of the city of Oslo, in case of a national crisis. A total of six companies make up His Majesty The King's Guard, and is a part of the Norwegian army.The band is hand picked through interviews and playing tests prior to the draft date. The band consists of signal horns, a drumline, a pit and the main band. Most of the members year goes to practising and basic military training as the year is a part of their military service. The band is probably the only troop that almost never have "green" duty. Also, the band never stand guard at the castle nor the other guarding posts around Oslo, neither does the drill platoon.
The drill platoon consists of 32–40, first-year servicing soldiers. These are all hand picked through a rigorous selection process that lasts from their drafting at the start of October till December. The soldiers go through basic military training as well as having to learn how to march, weapons drill, and how to perform synchronically. Throughout the selection process, the soldiers have to prove themselves worthy a spot on the drill team, as these soldiers will be representing not only the King's guard, but also the Norwegian military and the Norwegian state both national and internationally. Everything in their daily duty from the bed, room, facilities, closets, uniforms, and physique needs to be at excellent standards 24/7. These women and men strive for perfection in all that they do and are often seen running around the various woods nearby the base as well as working out at the gym. Every year, these soldiers finish their service with one of the highest average physical results in the army. Their uniforms are spotless and wrinkleless, in addition their boots are so well polished that you can literally reflect yourself in them. As opposed to what one might think, these soldiers draft year have been compared to as even harder than what the first-year service in the special forces is. Though most likely not as hard physically, the mentality and the pressure in being the best of the best puts these soldiers under a tremendous amount of pressure every hour of every day, every day of the year. Their rigorous training results in being one of the best drill teams in the world.
The band and drill platoon is the only drill team that have been invited to the legendary Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo nine times, 2012 being the most recent.
Russia
The Russian Armed Forces maintains many ceremonial drill units in its ranks, with the drill platoons in the 154th Preobrazhensky Independent Commandant's Regiment and the Kremlin Regiment being the seniormost among them. Drill units in Russia set the precedent for units of that nature in and around the Commonwealth of Independent States, especially in countries such as Belarus, Armenia, and Turkmenistan.Singapore
The Silent Precision Drill Squad of the Singapore Armed Forces Military Police Command is the sole drill unit of the Singapore Armed Forces that performs Exhibition drill. It is usually seen leading the contingent of new guards from the SAFMPC towards the Istana in the daily Guard mounting ceremony. It is also seen at the annual National Day Parade. The National Cadet Corps and National Police Cadet Corps also sport drill units, usually performing at school events competitions, or open houses. These units are known as Precision Drill Squads, a type of drill unit which executes rifle drill in complex series of movements with co-ordination and precision.United States
All of the United States military service branches have an official drill team part of their respective service honor guard. The service academies have drill teams, as well as many college and university ROTC and high school JROTC units. Additionally, many community-based organizations such as the Army Cadet Corps, Naval Sea Cadets, Young Marines, and Civil Air Patrol maintain military drill teams. Formerly, some of these units were called Crack Squads.The drill meet
A drill meet is a competition for military-style drill teams. The US military's honor guard units have drill teams; however, they do not compete against each other in a drill meet such as this. The only exception to this is Pro America where individuals compete, but not the full drill teams. US high school JROTC and college ROTC teams often compete against each other.The top American bladed independent drill meet was Pro America and the top American independent armed drill meet is the Isis World Drill Championships for post high school professional exhibition drillers in the nation. The same concept is also applied to various police departments and agencies. Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps programs may also compete in the National High School Drill Team Championships held in Daytona Beach, Florida. There are two divisions for competing, Unarmed, and Armed. During the summers, most drill teams go to drill camps to hone their skills. Also see high school "military" drill teams in high school. Washington, Idaho, California.
At the college level, teams may compete in the Mardi Gras Invitational Drill Meet hosted by Tulane University and the Cornell University Invitational Drill Meet.
Phases
Each meet has different phases:Many drill meets differ regarding what events are offered and what divisions of competition are presented. Drill meets generally include both an armed and unarmed divisions. Events offered generally include several different phases: inspection, color guard regulation drill, and, in addition, an exhibition drill in which they march intricate maneuvers along with manipulating equipment including rifles, sometimes with fixed bayonets.
- Inspection : Each team goes through a standard military inspection for an up-close critique of their bearing, knowledge and overall appearance.
- Regulation drill : A fixed list of verbal commands, armed or unarmed from a service's drill and ceremonies manual, given by a single cadet commander. This cadet commander must memorize these commands at most every meet and the team must perform these movements as per regulations.
- Exhibition drill : XD is based in RD, but is then infused with a Driller's imagination. XD has different categories:
- * Solo/one-man
- * Tandem/two-man
- * Small team
- * Platoon/flight
- Color guard regulation drill : The military color guard is not to be confused with a marching band's color guard, although music-related color guards have their roots in the military version. This is similar to the drill team RD phase in that there is a fixed list of commands from a service's drill and ceremonies manual that the cadet commander must memorize and execute with his/her color guard unit. Units are often required to "case", and/or "uncase" as a part of the competition.