Running a Practice
Operating procedures
A practice consists of the following:
Attendance and Accountability
Before every practice, the Cadet Cadre will take attendance.
The Cadet Cadre will ensure that all cadets are in the proper uniform or attire. If a cadet is not in the proper uniform or attire, the Cadet Cadre will ensure that the cadet is in the proper uniform or attire before the cadet is allowed to participate in practice.
The Cadet Cadre will ensure that the appropriate equipment is available for practice. (Rifles, Flags, Cones/Markers) If the appropriate equipment is not available, the Cadet Cadre will ensure that the appropriate equipment is available before practice begins.
Attire and Uniform Guidelines
In order to ensure a safe and productive practice environment, the following guidelines will be enforced:
- Cadets will wear athletic or otherwise closed toe shoes with laces tied and tucked in.
- Cadets will wear athletic or otherwise comfortable clothing that allows for a full range of motion, and is weather appropriate.
Safety Briefing
Before every practice, the Cadet Cadre will conduct a safety briefing. The safety briefing will cover the following topics:
- Location of the nearest first aid kit
- Location of the nearest AED
If this is an armed practice, the safety briefing will also include the standard safety briefing for armed drill.
Armed Drill Safety Briefing
While the armed drill team uses replica rifles, they both look and feel like real rifles. It is possible that they may be mistaken for live weapons. Therefore, the following safety rules will be enforced:
- A cadet will always treat the rifle as if it were a live weapon.
- A cadet will never horseplay with the rifles.
- A cadet will never point the rifle at another person.
- A cadet will never point the rifle at themselves.
- A cadet will never bring the rifle into the low-ready position.
- A cadet will never go prone with the rifle.
- A cadet will never go into a kneeling position with the rifle.
- A cadet will never pretend to, or otherwise attempt to use the iron sights on the rifle.
- A cadet will never travel with the rifle without the bolt in place, and orange safety cap on.
- When traveling with the weapons, the cadets will move calmly and deliberately, with the rifles pointed either directly up, or right shouldered.
A note on law enforcement
Due to the nature of the replica weapons we use in drill, it is possible that law enforcement may be called to the scene of a practice.
In the event that law enforcement arrives on scene, the Cadet Cadre will immediately call all cadets to attention using the command PRACTICE, ATTENTION, practice will pause, all cadets are to remain at the position of attention until instructed by law enforcement or cadet cadre to do otherwise.
Law enforcement will be greeted by the Cadet Cadre, and the Cadet Cadre will notify the law enforcement officer that the rifles are replicas, and that they are being used for drill practice.
Any order from a law enforcement officer supersedes any order from the Cadet Cadre, or JROTC staff and will be followed immediately.
Warmup
Before every practice, the Cadet Cadre will conduct a warmup. The warmup will consist of the following:
- Stretching exercises (10 count)
- Neck
- Shoulders
- Arms
- Wrists
- Hips
- Legs
- Ankles
Drill
The Cadet Cadre will conduct drill practice. The Cadet Cadre will ensure that the cadets are practicing the proper drill movements, and will correct any cadet that is not performing the drill movements properly.
There are three types of drill practice, Training, Review, and Rehearsal.
Training
Training is the process of learning one or several new drill movements, cadre will lead the practice according to the regulations, and will ensure that the cadets are performing the drill movements properly.
Review
Review is the process of practicing drill movements that have already been learned. Cadre will lead the practice according to the regulations, and will ensure that the cadets are performing the drill movements properly.
Rehearsal
Rehearsal is the process of practicing drill movements as they will be done in a performance. Cadre will lead the practice according to the regulations, and will ensure that the cadets are performing the drill movements properly.
Cool Down
After every practice, the Cadet Cadre will conduct a cool down. This is both a physical practice and a mental practice. The cool down will consist of the following:
- Stretching exercises (10 count)
- Neck
- Shoulders
- Arms
- Wrists
- Hips
- Legs
- Ankles
Debrief of the practice (Otherwise called Circle-Time)
The cadets will form a circle, and the Cadet Cadre will ask the following questions, responses from the cadets are not to be recorded or otherwise used against the cadets, this is a safe space for the cadets to express their feelings about the practice and their position within the team.
- What went well?
- What didn't go well?
- What can we do better next time?
Dismissal
After every practice, the Cadet Cadre will dismiss the cadets. By calling them to attention and then issuing the "dismissed" command.
The Cadet Cadre will ensure that all cadets have a ride home, and that all cadets are picked up by their ride home. The Cadet Cadre is the last person to leave the practice area, and will ensure that the practice area is clean and free of debris before leaving.