Bow Down, for I am the Lord of the Idiots (training related)

[RorerQuaalude]

Oh man! Pfc. Gomer Pyle, Pvt/Pfc Leonard 'Private Pyle' Lawrence (of FMJ fame), Pvt. Sad Sack, and Sgt. Bill Dautrive (of King of the Hill fame) can step aside as the undisputed clueless men in green, for I have replaced them all, with flying colors. Posting this will do me no justice, likely make me loathed, and have more flak shot at me than a B-17 over Berlin. While doing my drill training, I've seemed to do nothing but f*ck up. That's right, I've even messed up marching. The only thing I was good at, was knowing the rank structure and using a fire extinguisher. I messed up At-Ease, Stand Easy, Attention, Turning About left AND right, Marching, and halts. I mean I messed up Marching....in other words I couldn't even walk properly. Furthermore, I'd forget to call out the count of the drill action constantly. But the strange thing is, while not under the extremely watchful, and rightfully critical eye of the Drill Sergeant, I can do these things fairly properly (or at least I think so). I constantly practice these manoevres on my own time, yet I'm still performing terribly. I was actually so concerned that I was gonna screw up that I was jittering while standing easy. It's not that the Drill Sergeant is breaking my spirits, or intimidating me....if anything he's making me want to get into the regiment and get commission even more. It's just that, I keep messing up on the most basic of the basic stuff, and it's wasting the Sergeant's time. To me, wasting someone's time is one of the biggest injustices and slights to that person. To paraphrase the Sergeant: 'How can you lead a platoon if you can't even do drill properly?'. I desperately want to prove myself, yet every time I reach for that brass ring, I fall flat on my a*s. Every time I mess up I swear I can hear Patton calling me 'Yellow' and Eisenhower branding me as a Communist (I know, I've made enough American military references, I'll stop now). Anybody have any constructive criticism?

 

[D-n-A]

The best thing I can give you for advice is to practice, and practice with some of the other Officer Cadets in your section an/or platoon. A lot of people have trouble with drill at the beginning, but over time they improve, you just have to keep practicing.


Also, only the US has Drill Sgts.

 

[Big Foot]

Man, it comes with time. I've been doing drill for more than a year, and I still can't do it right. And trust me, when you're getting yelled at by the DSM when on Wing Parade practice, you know you've screwed up. So just keep at it and it will come with time. Oh, and don't even get me started on weapons drill. I always almost drop my rifle.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Ahhh... Tomorrows Leaders  : ;D Just kidding. No one is born with it. One day you'll have an epiphany and you'll wake up a soldier.

 

[Big Foot]

Hehe, I hear back in the day, it was only officers who came out of the military colleges who knew how to do drill. All oficers were proud of the fact they couldn't do drill. Or so thats what a few officers told my platoon this past summer. But seriously, I find drill helps me not to look like a bag of crap, even when I'm just walking around. Just instills a feeling of pride. As my old sergeant always said, "Heads up, be proud!" So true, regardless of whether you're on parade or not.

 

[Northern Touch]

Oh, and don't even get me started on weapons drill. I always almost drop my rifle.

ughh..rifle drill, ...present arms... :-\

 

[ImanIdiot]

I think everyone struggles with drill at the beginning. I used to get SO frusterated and even angry with myself for not being able to get the movements right. Its just one of those things that takes a lot of getting used to. Its really about having the right attitude. Take your section commander's criticism with a grain of salt...as I'm sure you are aware, its his job to be hard on you during drill. Just keep doing it and you'll get it right eventually. It will become instinctual.

 

[winchable]

If this is only after your first weekend you don't have to worry but do practice.
You'll pick it up.
"We all had to do it" (isn't that the motto for BMQ?)

I've watched some of the most jittery monkeys in the world make it through BMQ and go on to get even better afterward.
Weekend BMQ is it? Do you think they expected everyone to get it right away? Of course not, try and see it as a journey and not an end right away.

Good luck

 

[HollywoodHitman]

my advice would be to knuckle onto one of the troops in your course who is good at foot drill. Ask for some help. Noone wants to help you, ask your instructor to spend a little extra time on you. It probably won't be pleasant, but they won't think you're screwing them over on the parade sq. either.

Be patient. Been doing drill for a long time and every once in awhile I still have to think about it. It'll come.

TM