FREE – Entering a Room for Inspection

Overview

When inspection competitions are conducted in enclosed spaces and without specific guidance (i.e. most Navy competitions), the entry and exit from the inspection area is one of the most daunting elements of that phase of competition.  Sometimes, we get the luxury of marching our formation in and out of the area together.  Many times, however, this is not the case and we need to learn how to file in properly.

And unless otherwise specified or removed entirely, it’s also one of the most heavily graded items you’ll never see any actual guidance for ever.

By and large, this element of competition is somewhat “made up” in that a personnel inspection in real life does not often involve complex, gradable procedures for marching into and out of that area.

The goal with any entry/exit is very clear:

1. Adhere to the SPIRIT AND INTENT of the order/manual being used for drill.
2. Demonstrate individual, squad/element-level, and platoon/flight-level drill excellence.
3. Don’t take up too much time.

Getting Started

This process starts by reading your SOP/LOI/MOI and ALL the related diagrams for your competition! This will give us crucial information such as…

• Drill Area Dimensions
• Entry & Exit Locations & Dimensions
• Placement of Head Judge
• Placement of Platoon/Flight
• Possible Location of Other Judges
• Obstructions (i.e. Barriers, poles, chairs, etc.)

By making sure we understand all the information given (and clarify with the host for any missing information), we ensure that we are setting ourselves up for a successful entry/exit!

The General Process

In MOST cases where we cannot simply march the formation into the area en masse, we are going to file into the area in a single column before breaking the formation back into its requisite squads/elements.

The formation should begin in a single column in order from the first through last squad/element.

When allowable, we ALWAYS recommend sending the cadet commander into the room first to set the positioning of the formation.  However, this is not always possible.  In that case, the cadet commander will still execute their position Here are some guidelines:

• IF space allows, the cadet commander should aim to finish their entry approximate 5 paces from the Head Judge to allow enough room between the commander and judge after Open Ranks has been performed.
• IF space allows, the cadet commander should enter the space, move up the floor, then march at an angle to the CENTER of the floor before flanking up the floor towards the Head Judge’s position. This allows the cadet commander to march confidently towards the judge while also ensuring they have time to perfectly center themselves.

From here, the command, “Forward, MARCH” or “Fall In” should be given.  Be sure to check your SOP/LOI to be sure which commands are permissible.  Though “Fall In” is likely the correct command to give, some SOPs disallow it to avoid cadets double timing into the room as in a normal fall in procedure.

Depending on the entry or exit, the filing in process can look different!  Here are some general rules of thumb and some diagrams to help us understand what this could look like:

• When armed with drill rifles, the command “Port, ARMS” should precede the command to enter the inspection area.
• The FIRST SQUAD/ELEMENT LEADER should be the only individual responsible for a particular “step count.”  They should end this process 3 paces in front of and approximately 2 paces beyond the cadet commander.  This will ensure that in a 4 Squad/Element formation with 3 cadets in each squad/element (as is typical), that the second cadet is centered on the cadet commander.
• Cadets will follow their squad/element leaders pivoting in sequence.  THE SECOND THROUGH LAST SQUAD/ELEMENT LEADERS will pivot at the SAME TIME as the LAST cadet in the preceding squad such that they will be marching next to that cadet, continuing on until they align to the preceding squad.
• When individual cadets reach their positions, they should begin marking time.  Upon the completion of the entry movement, the cadet commander should command, “Platoon/Flight, HALT!” to cease the movement and then give commands appropriate to continue the process of inspection (i.e. order arms, facing movements, etc.)

Flexibility Is Key

IMPORTANT NOTE: Sometimes, external factors cause the layout of a room to deviate from published SOP/floor diagram guidance!  If you attend a meet in a convention center, you should PLAN MULTIPLE WAYS OF ENTERING just in case!  Then, all you need to do is peak at the room and choose the best entry!

You can see from this diagram how the squads/elements will travel and break away.

In the SECOND example above, you’ll notice that rather than pivoting WITH the last cadet in the preceding squad/element, the next squad leader will march 2 steps beyond that last cadet’s pivot point and execute their flanking movement to cascade into the correct order.

Commands Given

For our cadet commanders, here is a list of the commands given from the time the formation is mark timing in position in front of the head judge!

• “Platoon/Flight, HALT!”
• If Armed: “Order, ARMS!”
• “Left, FACE!”
• INTERCHANGEABLE DEPENDING ON SOP/EXPECTATION: 
  • “Open Ranks, MARCH!” and “Ready, FRONT” (“Cover” for MCO)
    • Army units usually may add a “Dress Right, DRESS” and “Ready, FRONT” command here!
  • CADET COMMANDER EXECUTES ABOUT FACE AND DELIVERS VERBAL REPORT IN
  • INSPECTION OCCURS
• INTERCHANGEABLE DEPENDING ON SOP/EXPECTATION: 
  • CADET COMMANDER REPORTS OUT
  • “Close Ranks, MARCH!”
    • Check your SOP/LOI to determine whether you’ll report out BEFORE or AFTER executing Close Ranks!
  • “Right, FACE!”
• If Armed, “Port, ARMS!”
• PLATOON/FLIGHT EXITS THE AREA IN AN ORGANIZED FASHION

Conclusion

Entry into an area often requires some creative thinking!  This is just one basic example to follow!