Just watched the North Korea videos in another thread and this question pops in my head:

Why all the marching?

Seems like military throughout history have placed great value on teaching soldiers to march in nice neat lines and look snazzy while doing so.

How much time in boot camp is spent learning to march ?

In a modern army during active wartime - does knowing how to march in a formal line do you any good at all ?

Drill & ceremony encourages unity, outlines the importance of following orders, and teaches discipline. It instills core values and tradition, both important for the profession of combat arms.

I helps you learn attention to detail and discipline which need to be taught somehow anyway. The result is pride in yourself and unit.

Once out of the primary training environment, time spent on D&C (Drill and Ceremony) is minimal. A refresher class on occasion, a parade or ceremony now and then. Units have regular formations to put out info etc. so that is some daily practice of the basics which cost nothing in terms of time.

To your last question...no, it has no direct value in combat.

Learning to march in formation and do drills is a way of teaching how to work as a team and to quickly follow orders. It imposes discipline, typically on young people who may have not ever been subject to it.

flashguy

Close order drill was an essential part of Marine recruit training when I went through.

Discipline and following orders are what it instills.

I'm thinking it started in the ancient times when they actually fought in nice neat lines. And it just never went away - since it did serve some purpose as you've outlined...

quote:

Originally posted by SBrooks:
I'm thinking it started in the ancient times when they actually fought in nice neat lines. And it just never went away - since it did serve some purpose as you've outlined...

Yes, definitely! Even through the Civil War, we mostly fought in tight disciplined ranks. WWI-on changed things with the machine gun, increased small arms rate of fire and accuracy, mobility of armor, airpower and much better defensive positions.

Just about every evolution in boot camp and OCS is designed to reinforce attention to detail under pressure.

This trait is the principle difference between non-military and the brotherhood. Some have it naturally, and some never have much, of course.

It's also an efficient way to move dozens of people from point A to point B.

quote:

Originally posted by SBrooks:
In a modern army during active wartime - does knowing how to march in a formal line do you any good at all ?

Yes, it has taught you some manner of how to "suck it up".

When it's 100deg out, 100% humidity, and you are standing in line waiting to pass in review. It's gonna take 30 minutes for it to get to your company and you just have to stand there and take it.

Don't move, even though you want to. That bead of sweat driving you fucking crazy just rolled off your forehead into your eye, and it stings.

A bug starts flying around your head, but you are eyes straight ahead, rifle steady, no movement.

And don't lock your knees either, that is a surefire way to pass out and be "that guy".

Discipline through uniform pain and suffering is a highly effective tool.

All of what is said here is true, and historically, marching is how you got to where the fight was going to be. Armies moved on foot, not on horseback, in wagons or in trucks. Even a good part of the German invasion of the USSR was done on foot. Much of the heavy fighting was mechanized, but a lot of the movement was marching.

The "goose step" the North Koreans do takes a lot of training. When someone makes a mistake it's painfully clear. A unit tha can March this way normally has a sense of cohesiveness. They know what everyone else s doing and where they are. It's also impressive. Tyrants like it as it impresses the citizens of how formatible the government is.

The original goal was to be able to move masses of men with precision. The goose step covers a set distance. The beats per minute allows for accurate movement. A good example is Picket's Charge (or Lngstreets Assault) at the start the two sides were not lined up parallel to each other. The confederates were on a line heading to the northeast while the Federal were more north south. Picket had to move his southern end across the field and line it up with the federals.
His goal was to strike with a series of "waves" moving to his left. It terms of tactics it was well done.


https://www.google.com/search?...mgrc=aisNRfomLe6xpM:

I learned in our high school band, the in a drum & bugle corp, the USN and Recruit drum & Bugle.

Lots of experience. Don't forget to break cadence for that bridge.

Mike

quote:

Originally posted by Arty:
It's also an efficient way to move dozens of people from point A to point B.

And there you have the best answer.

quote:

Originally posted by Arty:
It's also an efficient way to move dozens of people from point A to point B.

From a purely utility perspective, that’s been the answer for over a century. Prior to the invention of rapid fire cartridge firearms, though, disciplined maneuver on the battlefield was extremely important.
Need to go from being in a column to form a line to deliver maximum volley fire? Practiced drill.
Need to form a square Right. Now! to repel a cavalry attack? Practiced drill.

And all that tactical maneuvering on the field of action isn’t totally dead yet. I recently observed a large group of officers from the Colorado Department of Corrections maneuver in disciplined columns, form into lines, etc., in a civil disturbance response exercise. They weren’t particularly concerned about everyone’s being in step or precisely regulated lines, but they did a good job of getting from A to B in a disciplined group, maintaining an intimidating appearance, arranging the shield bearers and other specialists in the proper locations, etc.

While yet, sometimes in non combat situations, it is a very effective way to move troops from point A to point be very fast and organized.

Training recruits, every single thing we did had a training value including drill.
-teaching them to work as a team.
-efficient movement around the base.
-unconventional punishment.
-reward for performing well.
Most of my divisions got pretty good at it. After boot camp there is not much call for it in the Navy.

Some of the funniest shit I have ever seen was a groups of chief petty officers practicing drill for an upcoming ceremony.

My ship was in Savanna GA for ST Patrick's day and we had to provide a group to march in the parade. The other branches present were formed up in ranks and marched as a unit. We sauntered along in mass, drinking beer and interactng with the crowd, especially the female part of the crowd. I don't think any of us still had a white hat by the end.

To answer your question, if you have >3 people and are moving in boot camp, you are marching.

Instant compliance with verbal orders. Which is why when we had a fire in our house, and I shouted an order to my wife, she began to debate it.......

Day one in boot camp and the first thing they taught us was how to march. It never ended either.