Color Guard Team

[Airbourne Infantry]

A Color Guard team is getting up and running within my Group and, quite honestly, those on the team are clueless. The team is falling under both drill teams (armed and unarmed) in the sense that they practice with us and are considered part of the same group but those on the team have never competed in ANYTHING and don't know what they're doing. My instructors realize this and have pulled me from the armed team to help coach them. I have an idea of what color guards are supposed to look like but not one for competitions. So far, we're doing everything by ear but we have a big hurdle in the way of the "sling/unsling arms" command. We're using demilitarized M1 Garands and saying that they've been "used" is an understatement. Has anyone else done anything like this before? If so, what did you do?

[Drill for life]

My unit's Color Guard uses demilitarized M1's. You should have a command sheet.

I was posting a video but I couldn't find it(found it monday) so when I find it I will post. It is a competition Color Guard.

[TruBlu]

As far as uniforms go, standard service dress with honor guard caps and harnesses is best. Don't go dressing up the uniform, there is no need. Also, de-mil rifles are perfectly acceptable (in my corps, preferred).

Check the field manuals for drill movements; FM 22-5 is the most current for the AFJROTC I believe. Also, cross reference those manuals to the SOP that you receive for competition and you will be able to gain knowledge of all your movements. The only one that you may find hazy is the un-casing and re-casing of the colors. I have never done it personally, but later I will do a little more research and see what I can come up with.

Here is a list of search results in YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...afjrotc+color+. Check out that and that is how you may or may not need to look, but I'm sure you will know the difference.

[ColorGuardFreak]

Originally Posted by TruBlu

As far as uniforms go, standard service dress with honor guard caps and harnesses is best. Don't go dressing up the uniform, there is no need. Also, de-mil rifles are perfectly acceptable (in my corps, preferred).

Check the field manuals for drill movements; FM 22-5 is the most current for the AFJROTC I believe. Also, cross reference those manuals to the SOP that you receive for competition and you will be able to gain knowledge of all your movements. The only one that you may find hazy is the un-casing and re-casing of the colors. I have never done it personally, but later I will do a little more research and see what I can come up with.

Here is a list of search results in YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...afjrotc+color+. Check out that and that is how you may or may not need to look, but I'm sure you will know the difference.

For AFJROTC, you need to use AFMAN 36-2203, which is the correct manual for your service. Below is a link to the correct document.

LINK

First, a few questions that will hopefully help clarify the situation so we can tailor the information to your needs.

1. Is this team competing at a competition within it's own category (not competing WITH the Drill teams, but against other Color Guard teams.)?

2. Who is in command of the team (within the Wing Chain of Command)?

3. How many Cadets are on the team (there should be at least 4, but there can be more)?

Because it sounds like you're coming from a dead start, which is exactly how I learned Color Guard, start working as a team and just marching around. Like Drill, Color Guard is all about precision. Our motto used to be "4 Cadets, 1`Heartbeat", and that's what you need. To start out, have the rifles practice their movements facing each other, and have the flags working separately doing the same thing. Get the timing down perfectly. Then put the team into the line-abreast formation, and do it in front of a mirror. Get to where you are all on the exact time. Then start moving in the formation without your equipment. A flagpole (sans flag) is a great tool for getting your alignment correct.

TruBlu was correct in that you should receive either a manual, or at least the rubric that will be used to grade your performance. In/On there should be a command sheet that explains the movements you will be expected to perform, possibly including reporting in. The Command sequence we used to have to go through is as follows (Remember, these are AJROTC Commands, consult the aforementioned manual, or your ASI/SASI for translations to AFJROTC Commands):

Color Guard, Attention.
Carry, Colors
Forward, March,
Left Wheel, March
Forward, March
Mark Time, March
Color Guard, Halt
Present, Arms
(Report in here)
Order, Arms
Colors Reverse, March (Counter Column, March?)
Forward, March
Colors Reverse, March
Mark Time, March
Color Guard, Halt
Uncarry, Colors
Parade, Rest
(Pause)
Color Guard, Attention
Carry, Colors
Right Wheel, March
Forward, March
Left Wheel, March
Forward, March
Colors Reverse, March
Right Wheel, March
Forward, March
Eyes, Right (As you pass the Head Judge)
Ready, Front
Mark Time, March
Color Guard, Halt
Uncarry, Colors
Color Guard, Fall Out.

It seems like a lot, but I can remember it after not touching a flag for 3 years, and it just takes doing it to remember it.

Try to answer the questions above, and I'll try to dredge up a few more tricks that might help you out.

-CGF

[armysc_25b]

Originally Posted by TruBlu

FM 22-5 is the most current for the AFJROTC I believe.

And just an FYI for those who know FM 22-5, it was replaced years ago by the updated FM 3-21.5.

[Airbourne Infantry]

Yes, the color guard team will be competing against other color guard teams, it just falls under both drill teams. And yes, we're starting from a dead start. It's being commanded by a C/SSgt. who's never done this kind of thing. I'm not saying she can't do it, just that she needs to learn fast. They have a sequence to work with and memorize for the competitions but no idea how to perform some of the movements the "right" way if there is one. Keep in mind though, I'm not a part of this color guard team, I just get pulled from my armed drill team during practices to teach them what little I know about color guards. Which, by the way, can someone explain that one to me. jk

[TruBlu]

Man I got denied on this one lol! I think I'll take a step back and leave this one to a more knowledgeable set.

[ColorGuardFreak]

The "right" way to conduct the movements should all be outlined in the AFMAN i provided for you earlier. That's your service's version of FM 3-21.5, which contains everything we needed to know for Color Guard when I was in AJROTC.

Another good idea might be to try to visit another program (same service preferably) that you'll be competing against. Ask your ASI to contact theirs, and see if you can set up a visit where you can discuss the CG with their team. Have the teams meet and greet, and just compare notes. We had that happen a few times when I was competing, and it's no big deal. As much as we all want to beat each other you don't ever really want a team to fall flat on it's face and just embarrass themselves.

Your Instructors should also be able to give you some guidance. During their careers I'm sure they've seen Color Guards perform, and while they probably don't remember all the nuance and exact movements, hopefully the general idea is still with them, but really, your best bet is the manuals and the information that explains the rules of your competitions.

[RegMaster]

I'm the Drill Team XO for my unit and we got 1st place European Color Guard Team last year. (My unit is in an American school in Germany, hence the European.) But main point, I know I have the CG command list somewhere around here. FOUND IT!

Fall IN
Forward MARCH
Half Left About MARCH
Colors HALT (This is all before scoring and the timing.)
Present ARMS (report in to head judge)
Order ARMS
Sling ARMS
Guards POST ( you can find this whole part in AF Man 36-2001)
Uncase Colors (" same as above")
Present ARMS
Order ARMS
Guards Post (auto un-sling at the end of this move)
Forward MARCH
Half Left About MARCH
Forward MARCH
Colors HALT
Colors Reverse MARCH (In AF MAN 36-2001)
Forward MARCH
Half Right About MARCH
Forward MARCH
Half Right About MARCH
Forward MARCH
Eyes Right
Ready FRONT
Half Left About MARCH
Forward MARCH
Half Left About MARCH
Forward March
Colors HALT
Order COLORS
Parade REST
Colors ATTENTION
Carry COLORS
Forward MARCH
Half Left About MARCH
Forward MARCH
Colors HALT
Sling ARMS
Guards POST
Present ARMS
Order ARMS
Case COLORS
Guards POST (auto unsling)
Forward MARCH
Half Left About MARCH
Forward MARCH
Colors HALT (The end)
Fall OUT

(In four years I have YET to find out exactly how to do sling and unsling, but we had a cadet go to Nationals Drill Camp and he found out. My best suggestion is you just YouTube search it and find out how yourself)

Good Luck at your competition. Also consider checking that this is the same routine used at your competition.

[Flyboy]

There are a couple of things that we do at my school that seem to help a lot (we are going to nationals this year and I am commanding the Color Guard). One easy thing to do is go to the center of a basketball court, there should be a large circle that has a diameter just about the same as a CG at proper close interval, from there you can have all of your cadets set down their equipment and hold a flag pole horizontally and do wheels/abouts (depending on what your conference uses). The circle helps make sure that your pivot point is not moving and the pole allows you to tell if anyone is falling back or pushing forward. While doing the wheels make sure to count out the steps (I don't believe there is a set amount as we do 8 counts on every other foot and another school we compete with does 4 counts), this will help everyone to remain in cadence and on step.

To make sure that you are all remaining in time with each other you can do an exercise we call "mirroring". Have all of your cadets form up in a square with about 8-10 feet between people opposite of each other, with the two guards facing each other and the two flags facing each other. While here run through all of the commands in your routine, this allows your guards to see each other and keep in time, as well as your state to see you and keep in time. It is probably smart to count out loud here too. You can also see if there are any problems like excessive movement in this type of formation. We typically mirror for 5 to 10 minutes at the begining of every practice and before every performance.

Technically, to sling arms, you only need to do it in a professional manner. What we do is put the heel of the rifle on the top of the belt with the rifle facing 45 degrees up and 45 degrees to the right. Then you can grab the end of the sling going through the clamp and pull it out, releasing the clamp, readjust the clamp and tighten it. Then push your arm though the sling and the rifle up onto your shoulder. Taking it off, do just the opposite. Play around and see what works best for the people in your team.

In the end Color Guard comes down to practicing often and being anal retensive. Don't be afraid to measure steps, check alignment every couple of steps, calling cadence, counting movements and wheels/abouts, and having an alternate. An alternate will not only allow you to have a backup incase someone gets hurt, but they can watch your team and correct alignment, flag alignment, cadence, step size, and movements.