CHAPTER 7

SQUAD DRILL

• A squad is a group of 8-12individuals formed for instruction,discipline, control, and order.

• Members of a squad take positions,move, and execute the manual ofarms.

• Squads execute movements at thesame time.

• Squads may drill as squads or partof a larger formation.

• Squads march in line for minorchanges of position only.

Squad Armed With Rifles

• “Right (Left) Shoulder, ARMS,”

“Port, ARMS,” or “Sling, ARMS” are

given before squad movements.

• “Trail, ARMS” may be given for short

distances, or may be done

automatically.

• At command “Squad, HALT,” remain

at Right Shoulder, Left Shoulder, Port

or Sling Arms until Order Arms or

other manual command.

• The unit leader is

the individual

drilling the squad.

• If the unit leader is

a squad leader, the

the number two

cadet acts as

squad leader.

Unit Leader

To Form The Squad

Normally, the squad is formed according

to position 1 through 10, regardless of

size, with squad leader in position 1.

1 2 3 4

To Form The Squad (cont.)

For parades and ceremonies, squad

should be sized. Squad leader in

position 1, tallest cadet in position 2,

down to shortest cadet in position 10.

1 2 3 4

To form at close interval, the command

is “At Close Interval, FALL IN.”

If the squad is armed:

• Fall in with weapons at Order Arms.

• “Inspection, ARMS,” “Port, ARMS,”

and “Order, ARMS” follow.

To Count Off

In line:

The command is “Count, Off.”

At the command “Off,” everyone except the

squad leader, turn their heads 90 degrees

over the shoulder and look to the right. The

squad leaders shout ONE. The person in the

file to the left of the squad leaders turns

his/her head smartly back to the front and at

the same time shouts TWO.

To Count Off

In line:

After the person to their right has shouted

their number, each subsequent person to

the left turns his/her head back to the front

and at the same time shouts the next higher

number.

Numbers are counted off in quick time

cadence.

To Count Off

In column:

On the command “From Front to Rear,

Count, OFF,” the squad leader smartly turns

his/her head to the right 90 degrees over

the shoulder and shouts ONE as the head is

turned back to the front.

To Count Off (cont.)

In column:

Each subsequent rank, having seen the

person’s head in front of them return to the

front, turns his/her head to the right and

shouts the next higher number as the head

is turned smartly back to the front.

This is carried on in sequence at quick time

cadence.

• Command is “Close, MARCH.”

• Squad leader is base of movement.

• On command “MARCH”:

~ Squad leader stands fast, left hand

on hip.

To obtain close interval from

normal interval in line:

• Other members face right, march to

within 4 inches, face left, then execute

Close Interval Dress Right Dress.

• Without command, hands down and

eyes front.

• Unit leader recenters on squad.

To obtain close interval from

normal interval in line: (cont.)

• Command is “Extend, MARCH.”

• Squad leader is base of movement.

• On command “MARCH”:

~ Squad leader stands fast, raises

left arm.

To obtain normal interval from

close interval in line:

• Other members face left, march to

30-inch spacing, face right, then

execute Dress Right Dress.

• Without command, hands down and

eyes front.

• Unit leader recenters on squad.

To obtain normal interval from

close interval in line: (cont.)

To March To The Oblique

Procedures

The command “Forward, MARCH.”

The command “HALT.”

The command “In Place, HALT.”

The command “Resume, MARCH.”

What is the normal formation

for a squad?

A single rank

What is the normal formation

for a squad?

How many paces does the unit

leader maintain from the

squad?

Three paces

How many paces does the unit

leader maintain from the

squad?

How do you size the squad?

To size the squad, the tallest

member takes a position behind

the squad leader. The rest of

the squad members line up

according to height from tallest

to shortest.

How do you size the squad?

What is the command to form

the squad at normal interval?

“FALL IN.”

What is the command to form

the squad at normal interval?

How will members fall in when

the squad is armed?

At Order Arms

How will members fall in when

the squad is armed?

How do you dismiss the squad

when they are unarmed?

Give the command

“DISMISSED.”

How do you dismiss the squad

when they are unarmed?

What commands are used to

dismiss the squad when they

are armed?

Armed troops are dismissed

with the commands “Inspection,

ARMS;” and “DISMISSED.”

What commands are used to

dismiss the squad when they

are armed?

How do you “count off” in line?

At the command “OFF,”everyone except the squadleader, turn their heads 90degrees over his/her shoulderand look to the right. The squadleaders shout ONE. The personin the file to the left of the squadleader turns their head smartlyback to the front and at thesame time shouts TWO.

How do you “count off” in line?

After the person to their right

has shouted their number, each

subsequent person to the left

turns his/her head back to the

front and at the same time

shouts the next higher number.

Numbers are counted off in

quick time cadence.

How do you “count off” in line?

How do you “count off” when

in column?

In column, on the command

“From Front to Rear, Count,

OFF,” the squad leader smartly

turns his/her head to the right

90 degrees over the shoulder

and shouts ONE as the head is

turned back to the front.

How do you “count off” when

in column?

Each subsequent rank, havingseen the person’s head in frontof them return to the front,turns his/her head to the rightand shouts the next highernumber as the head is turnedsmartly back to the front. Thisis carried on in sequence atquick time cadence.

How do you “count off” when

in column?

What are the two different

ways the squad can be

aligned?

At Close Interval, Dress Right

(Left), DRESS and Dress

Right (Left), DRESS

What are the two different

ways the squad can be

aligned?

How do you perform “Dress

Left, DRESS?”

This movement is similar to

“Dress Right, DRESS” except

that alignment is made toward

the left.

How do you perform “Dress

Left, DRESS?”

What is the purpose of “Close,

MARCH?”

The purpose of this movement

is to close the interval between

individuals of a squad in line

to four (4) inches.

What is the purpose of “Close,

MARCH?”

What is the purpose of

“Extend, MARCH?”

The purpose of this movement

is to extend the interval

between individuals of a squad

in line to one arm length.

What is the purpose of

“Extend, MARCH?”

What is the command given to

resume the original direction

of march from the oblique?

“Forward, MARCH.”

What is the command given to

resume the original direction

of march from the oblique?

Which foot is the command of

execution called on for “Right

Oblique, MARCH”?

Right foot

Which foot is the command of

execution called on for “Right

Oblique, MARCH”?

What command is given to halt

the squad facing in the original

direction of march?

“Squad, HALT.”

What command is given to halt

the squad facing in the original

direction of march?

What is the command to

temporarily halt the squad in

the oblique direction in order

to correct errors?

“In Place, HALT.”

What is the command to

temporarily halt the squad in

the oblique direction in order

to correct errors?

Which foot is the command of

execution called on to move

the squad to the rear?

Right foot

Which foot is the command of

execution called on to move

the squad to the rear?

What other commands may be

given when a squad is

marching to the rear?

None.

What other commands may be

given when a squad is

marching to the rear?

What commands, other than

the opposite flank, may be

given when a squad is

marching to the flank?

None.

What commands, other than

the opposite flank, may be

given when a squad is

marching to the flank?

When at Dress Right, Dress,

what command is given to

return to attention?

“Ready, FRONT”

When at Dress Right, Dress,

what command is given to

return to attention?

What position does the squad

fall in if armed with weapons?

Order Arms

What position does the squad

fall in if armed with weapons?

When does the squad leader

give the command “Ready

FRONT”?

When the squad leader

determines the alignment is

correct

When does the squad leader

give the command “Ready

FRONT”?

When are right and left

flanking movements used?

They are used when it

becomes necessary to move

cadets to the right or to the left

for short distances.

When are right and left

flanking movements used?

TRUE or FALSE. At half step or

mark time while in the oblique

direction, resume the full step

to the oblique on the command

“Resume, MARCH.”

TRUE.

TRUE or FALSE. At half step or

mark time while in the oblique

direction, resume the full step

to the oblique on the command

“Resume, MARCH.”