Drill commands


Drill commands are generally used with a group that is marching, most often in military foot drills or in a marching band. Drill commands are usually heard in major events involving service personnel, reservists and veterans of a country's armed forces, and by extension, public security services and youth uniformed organizations.

Common drill commands

Without weapons

  • Fall in. Have designated troops move into formation on the parade square and/or ground.
  • Fall out. Have designated troops to face the commander to be dismissed.
  • Dismissed. Telling designated units to leave the parade square/ground.
  • Attention. Have the soldiers adopt the at attention position.
  • Stand fast. Individual soldiers remain at the attention position regardless of the movement of others in the formation.

    Rest positions

  • Stand at ease has the soldiers in a more relaxed position. The left foot is moved roughly 10 inches to the left from the position of attention so they are shoulder length apart. Simultaneously, they clasp their hands behind their backs with the left hand resting flat on the small of the back and the right hand resting flat on top of the left. Their fingers are extended and joined, thumbs interlocked and palms are facing out behind them. No movement is permitted.
  • File:219 ACU 2025 Catafaque Party preparing their Rifle Drill.jpg|thumb|Australian Army Cadets from 2/19 ACU Wagga Wagga performing a Present Arms with the EF88Stand easy has the soldiers adopt the next easiest stance, where hands are still clasped behind the back; however, the soldiers can relax their upper bodies and quietly speak. This is often, but not always, followed by an implicit "relax". This is typically used when being addressed or lectured for a long period of time where the positions of attention or at ease would be too painful or uncomfortable to hold.
  • Relax : The only parade instruction given in an ordinary voice, rather than the raised, emphatic parade voice. This is the only position that actually offers soldiers freedom of movement. Soldiers are typically allowed to move other than moving their feet, though, when it is given by a high-ranking officer, soldiers typically move a minimal amount after a bit of stretching.

    Dressing

  • Right dress – all personnel except the right marker bring up their left arms parallel to the ground. At the same time, all members of the formation snap their heads so they are facing right. After this, they pause, and then shuffle back to a new position, where their shoulder is extremely close to the soldier's hand on their right, unless otherwise specified. The American version of this is called dress right, dress.
  • Left dress – all personnel except the left marker bring up their right arms parallel to the ground. At the same time, all members of the formation snap their heads so they are facing left. After this, they pause, and then shuffle back to a new position, where their shoulder is extremely close to the soldier's hand on their left, unless otherwise specified. The American version of this is called dress left, dress.
  • Inwards dress/centre dress – used when a parade is formed up in two or more groups with colours, guidons, or banners on parade. This is used so that dressing is off the colours. The formations to the left of the colour party will dress to the right and the formations to the right of the colour party will dress to the left. All personnel to the right of the colours in front row and left column except the left marker take one step forward, pause, and only the front rank bring up their left arms parallel to the ground. At the same time, all members of the formation snap their heads so they are facing left. All personnel to the left of the colours in front row and right side column except the right marker take one step forward, pause, and only the front rank bring up their right arms parallel to the ground. At the same time, all members of the formation snap their heads so they are facing right.
  • Eyes front – the front rank snaps their arms down and faces forward, while all other ranks simply face forward.

    With weapons

Rifles

  • Shoulder/slope arms: The rifle is brought on the left or right sides by the shoulder.
  • Change arms : When the rifle is being carried at the slope, trail or shoulder, it is changed from one side of the body to the other.
  • Present arms: The soldiers bring their weapons to the front of their bodies, and adjust their right foot position. Soldiers without weapons use a salute appropriate for their headdress. In the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth of Nations, the command is often preceded with a general salute or royal/presidential/national salute, when appropriate.
  • Order arms: Servicemen carrying a weapon lower the butt of the weapon to the ground, muzzle vertical.
  • Port arms: The weapon is brought out in front of the soldier, and held by the right hand on small of the butt, or equivalent, and the left hand about the forestock, or equivalent.
  • High port arms: The weapon is brought out in front of the soldier in the form similar to Port Arms but higher so that the butt and forestock or equivalent is raised.
  • For inspection, port arms : The weapon are raised at the port position in order that it can be properly inspected.
  • Reverse arms: The weapon is held reversed as a sign of mourning.
  • Ground arms: Servicemen bring their rifles to the ground.
  • Trail arms: Servicemen bring their grip from the pistol grip to the carrying handle of the rifle in order to carry the rifle horizontally
  • Sling arms: If the soldiers have a "sling" on their rifles, then this command can be called. The soldiers will loosen the sling so they can now have their rifles strapped around their shoulders.
  • Unsling arms: Servicemen will unloosen the sling so they can now have their rifles at the port or high port position.
  • Front sling arms: Servicemen holding weapons with slings attached to the chest now sling those weapons in the Port or High Port Arms position.
  • Fire of joy, load weapons: This command is used in parades such as the National Day Parade in Singapore, and trooping the colour. Soldiers will load the rifle with the blank round in preparation of the feu de joie, French for "fire of joy" in parades. In Polish this is called the Salwa Honorowa and in Hebrew it's called ירי כבוד, or honor volley.
  • Fix bayonets: In US ceremonies, whenever the bayonets are to be fixed to the weapons, this command is called out. In times, the accompanying bugle call for it is used before the order is done. The troops pull out their bayonets from their uniforms and attach them to the weapon.
  • Unfix bayonets: Soldiers in formation remove their bayonets from their rifles and return them to their uniforms.

    Sabres

  • Draw sabres: used to draw the sabres.
  • Return sabres: used to return the sabres.
  • Present sabres: used for officers to salute using their sabres.
  • Shoulder/slope sabres: used for officers to slope the sabre in their left-hand shoulder.
  • Order sabres: the sabre is lowered to the ground after presenting or sloping.

    Forming the parade for the march past/pass in review

  • Pass in review – used in the US to denote the start of the march past segment of parades. When this command is said the parade prepares in readiness for the march past. It is also used as a way for newly assigned commanders to inspect the troops they command.
  • Parade, in close order, left/right dress – in the UK, this command is used to commence dressing of parade units in close order
  • Company, in close order, form three/four ranks – in the UK, this command is used to form companies into three or four ranks of personnel each
  • Staff behind me, march – in the US, this command is used by the parade commander to form his parade staff in readiness for the march past/pass in review segment of parades
  • Parade will now advance/retire in slow/quick time, about turn – in the Commonwealth the command is used to form parade formations when arranged in line formation for the march past
  • Distance by a single lineman - in the former Soviet Union and in countries that were trained by the Soviet Armed Forces this ensures that the distance of the formations of parade be equal to those of the parade armed linemen that line the parade grounds or square for the march past
  • Move to the right/left in twos/threes/fours - in the Commonwealth, this command is used for a company or companies to execute left/right turn forming either two, three or four ranks

    Saluting on the march

In the Commonwealth countries, the following saluting on the march commands are ordered with a preparatory command of Saluting on the march.... For example, Saluting on the march, to the front salute and always called on the left foot.
  • To the front salute or salute: The parade is halted and the right arm is raised so the forearm is placed at a 90° angle, while pointing at the temple. This is lowered and then repeated again, followed by an about turn and a resume in marching. The timing is: "Call, check, halt, 2, 3, up, 2, 3, down, 2, 3, 4, 5, up, 2, 3, down, 2, 3, about, 2, 3, in, 2, 3, left, right, left." It is one of, if not the longest drill movement in the military.
In British corps, the drill movement for saluting to the front is the following. Two, three, up. Two, three, down.
  • To the right salute: The right arm is raised so the forearm is placed at a 90° angle, while pointing at the temple. It is generally to a count of "Up, two, three, four, five, down, swing!"
  • To the left salute: The right arm is raised so the forearm is placed at a 90° angle, while pointing at the temple. It is generally to a count of "Up, two, three, four, five, down, away!"
In the United States, the command for saluting on the march is "Eyes, right/eyes left". The parade formation commander and other officers execute the hand salute or execute sabre salute if available , while everyone but the right file or left file in either case turns their heads to the right. The command for recovery is "Ready, front." If the command does not have rifles, they will salute if given the command Present arms. The arms will be lowered back to their normal position on the commands Order arms. They can also salute if given the command Hand salute. The salute is raised when the parade leader finishes saying "salute", and is lowered in after being held for the same amount of time elapsed between the words "hand" and "salute."