Overview
There’s one specific thing most every cadet must do each week to earn a grade in JROTC. Can you think of it? Yep! Wearing a uniform! And drill team is the epitome of a uniform wear grade, especially if you have an inspection event to contend with at your competitions!
Preparing a uniform diligently on a regular basis teaches attention to detail, specificity, and helps you develop discipline. However, preparing a uniform for a drill team competition is an entirely different thing altogether.
What’s Being Graded
At a drill competition, and especially during the inspection phase of competition, not ONLY is the individual attention to detail being stressed, the overall team’s uniformity and level of preparation is being graded in totality. Whether a scoresheet grades cadets individually, as squads/elements, or in totality, judges are looking for a precision level that goes beyond individual accountability.
The Problem
When we prepare our own uniforms individually, there are a great deal of factors to contend with that could vary from person to person. These include:
- What tools are used (i.e. a ruler with sharp corners vs. a dull-edged ruler vs. “eye-balling it,” etc.)
- Level of attention to detail (i.e. an experienced cadet may have a sharper eye for detail than a brand new one)
- Amount of time/dedication (i.e. “throwing it together last minute” vs. spending a great deal of time and effort)
- Understanding of measurements (i.e. interpretation of what is “close enough” to a certain measurement may vary)
The list goes on and on.
While an individual uniform may be prepared PERFECTLY, it may ALSO be different than other individually-prepared uniforms. This is a problem.
The Solution
Enter the UNIFORM TEAM concept! This one is really, really simple! It’s exactly what it sounds like, in fact:
Cadets are assembled into two-person “teams” each focused on a different uniform item’s care and preparation for ALL drill team uniforms!
Yep! You heard that right! No longer will each cadet prepare their own uniform. Now, we’ll have teams for EVERYTHING. This includes:
- Rank Insignia
- Ribbons
- Name Tags
- Cords
- Shoe Lacing/Polishing
- Awards
- Decorations
- Etc., etc., etc.
If it exists on your uniform, there’s a team that handles it! There should also be separate teams for male vs. female uniforms.
By utilizing uniform teams, you ensure that each uniform is prepared identically for each cadet while having a specific point-of-contact for each item on the uniform in the event of an issue!
Now, uniforms are handled in an assembly-line fashion. They can be laid out while teams rotate around working on their individual responsibilities.
Cadet commanders (or other senior leaders) should be responsible for checking each uniform as its completed. Create checklists that help the entire team visually see progress through preparing each uniform!
Team Composition
So how do we form these teams? Too easy!
First, teams should be comprised of an underclassman and an upperclassman. This way, we build a master/apprentice model where knowledge can be transferred over multiple generations. The experienced cadet should train and demonstrate the proper preparation then simultaneously work WITH and inspect the work of the less experienced one!
Secondly, teams should be comprised of individuals who are actually good at working with a particular uniform item. If someone is awful at aligning ribbons, don’t place them on the ribbon team and expect them to improve. They can continue practicing on their weekly uniform inspection while you place them on a team where they are more likely to excel.
The Result
This is the ULTIMATE form of teamwork. By ensuring everyone is involved in the process (and MOST uniforms have enough pieces to actively engage everyone on the team in a meaningful way), we ensure that the success or failure of the team is a result of the TEAM’s efforts!
We are also more likely to be prepared in the event of an emergency because there is a specific group of people who can step in and address any uniform issues that arise throughout this process and even at the competition.
Ultimately, the team walks away more prepared, less stressed, and more, well, uniform!
How long does this process take? We recommend about 3 weeks worth of advance preparation for local competitions, about 1.5 months for regional/state competitions, and about 2-3 months for national-level competitions. The higher the stakes, the more time we give ourselves for the teams to operate effectively and without undue stress!