TCA New London Drill and Ceremony
On Saturday, November 11, 2023, Class 61 held their class drill and ceremony competition on the grounds of the academy. Both teams compete in two sections; the first is regulation drill where cadets do standard maneuvers such as “about-face,” coming to attention, parade rest, etc. The second section is referred to as the “fancy” drill where cadets develop their own routine.
Most cadets have never participated in any type of marching exercises prior to enrolling at TCA and they have four weeks to learn the movements. Learning these movements generally starts on the first day of the class session and is practiced each day as the cadets develop their marching skills. The goal of the exercise is to learn to move as one unit while following the commands of the cadet team leader. The cadet team leader is chosen by cadre staff and there is also a guidon bearer who carries the guidon for their particular team. The guidon bearer must pay close attention and moves to where the team will be facing with their next command.
Each portion of the drill and ceremony is graded by judges who awards points based on the team’s movement and unity. Scores are then tallied and a winner is announced for each portion. Congratulations to Team 1 for winning both the regulation and fancy portions of the drill and ceremony competition. During the competition, it was raining but this did not deter either team; they both gave 100%.
For full photographic coverage of the event, be sure to visit the TCA Flickr album. If you would like to see the competition in its entirety, please visit the TCA YouTube channel.