Overview
What is “Hybrid Drill?”
Hybrid
/ˈhīˌbrid/
- Armed Regulation
- Armed Inspection
- Color Guard in the Armed Division (if applicable)
BUT a hybrid drill team will do something special for exhibition drill…
Yep! That’s right. The exhibition drill team will consist of two separate and distinct sections: an armed component and an unarmed component!
The routine will combine the talents of both disciplines to create a unique and dynamic routine suitable not only for performances, recruiting events, pep rallies, etc. but also most armed drill exhibition competitions as well!
Huh? Seriously? How…
How Can You Compete with Hybrid Drill?
So here’s the deal: because the hybrid drill team is essentially an armed drill team at its core, competing in the regulation divisions of a competition is a no-brainer.
In exhibition drill, we contest hybrid in the armed category as well with the following stipulation:
There must be as many cadets armed with drill rifles as the minimum allowable number of cadets in exhibition drill.
For example, if the SOP/LOI for a competition states that the minimum required number of cadets for armed exhibition is 9 cadets plus cadet commander, then you must field 9 cadets armed with drill rifles plus a cadet commander.
Any UNARMED exhibition drillers you add to the routine are extras on top of this.
Some SOPs have, in the past, made specific allowances and mentions of hybrid exhibition drill. Most SOPs do not but the loophole here is that very few competitions have a MAXIMUM number of cadets and the number of cadets is dictated by the number of rifles required on the drill floor at a given time.
What Are the Benefits?
In 100% of cases with teams that have worked with, the hybrid drill team model has solved two key issues:
- Number of Cadets Involved
- Motivation & Retention of Cadets
You can maintain a successful hybrid drill team with the minimum required number of armed drillers and ANY NUMBER of additional unarmed drillers. This means that while 16 cadets generally too few to maintain an armed AND an unarmed team, 16 is a HUGE number of cadets to field in an armed exhibition performance or competition.
By allowing all cadets to remain involved in one of the most fun drill phases, you create an amazing retention vehicle likely to attract others.
And when your team has 26+ cadets on it? Well, that sounds like two drill teams to us! You can split them back into armed and unarmed groups but most groups we’ve worked with opt to remain as a hybrid team!
Another key benefit is that one instructor can supervise one team more effectively than two. Even better, TWO instructors used to supervising separate teams can now effectively combine forces to work with a singular one.
What Are the Drawbacks?
The only major drawback we’ve seen to this model is that creating and practicing a hybrid exhibition routine can be challenging for new drillers. Don’t worry – we’ll have plenty of content coming along on this platform to help everyone get started in time! You can also contact us directly to specifically request on-site training in hybrid drill to help give your team a jump-start!
Who Does What?
On the hybrid drill team, ALL cadets learn basic drill as well as all rifle manual. For the regulation events, you may have a number of cadets exceeding the number required for competition. In this case, you have alternates and options when it comes to selecting the best cadets for the job.
When it comes to exhibition, some cadets will specialize in armed drill while others will specialize in unarmed drill.
How Do We Start?
We recommend starting the team with showing videos of hybrid exhibition drill. Here is a playlist to get you started:
Not everything in this playlist is of top quality but it’s all very interesting!
From there, lay out the benefits and start practice as if you are an armed drill team. When it comes to exhibition drill, challenge the cadets to help each other create sequences.
We recommend sending the armed contingent through the Armed Exhibition Masterclass and the unarmed contingent through the Unarmed Exhibition Masterclass. This will give them a good exhibition foundation from which to help one another create sequences!
Where to Get More Help
Keep checking the Hybrid Drill section of Drillpedia for additional resources!
If you want to schedule on-site training to begin this process, please visit us at our primary training page HERE!