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That is a small detail trained for a "show step" that is not standard marching.
Marching is not particularly designed to be the most efficient way to walk, it's designed to be the most controllable way to move a mass of troops by foot from one point to another.
In that video, one of the things they are doing for show that is wrong for regular marching is stepping toe-to-heel. Marching, soldiers step heel-to-toe, deliberately flipping up the toe to achieve a solid, positive heel strike to the ground. The purpose of a solid heel strike is to create a clear "beat," and it's that beat upon which commands are given and executed.
When it's done right--and it's sooooo coolwhen it's done right--you hear the sound of one man marching (a really big man).
They get away with it because they are a small group very highly trained for their show. But that's not the way you'd want to march for 10 miles en masse with regular troops.
Even the still of that video clearly shows the heel striking first. I don't know how you think a Marine marches toe-to-heel. There's a moment of marking time with the high knees, which is all standard close-order drill.
I do agree, this is showing off the way Marines do best. This is basic training. The Drill Instructors are larger than life, even the short ones. Their personality is that of a bull dog and the posture of those DI's clearly demonstrate that. Heck no it's not comfortable! It's not supposed to be comfortable. And those recruits, now Marines, will emulate those DI's the rest of their career but I dare say they'll never march as well as they did on that boot camp graduation day.
Even the still of that video clearly shows the heel striking first. I don't know how you think a Marine marches toe-to-heel. There's a moment of marking time with the high knees, which is all standard close-order drill.
I didn't say Marines in general, I was very careful to specify that particular group of Marines doing that particular display. If you take a look at the guide-on bearers, most of them are walking toe-heel, and certainly not the properly exaggerated heel-toe.
I am not a Marine, but the most enjoyable period of my career was in a joint unit where my boss was a Marine colonel and I had Marines working for me. I'm pretty fond of them, too.
Believe me. ...I can guarantee the A.F. puts a lot more time and effort into marching & drill during basic than any other branch. The other branches may say they have more "important" things to teach....which may be true. This is coming from an ex Air Force M.T.I.
Believe me. ...I can guarantee the A.F. puts a lot more time and effort into marching & drill during basic than any other branch. The other branches may say they have more "important" things to teach....which may be true. This is coming from an ex Air Force M.T.I.
I feel like this is such a troll post.. HOW WOULD YOU HAVE ANY CLUE OF WHAT THE OTHER BRANCHES DO???
I feel like this is such a troll post.. HOW WOULD YOU HAVE ANY CLUE OF WHAT THE OTHER BRANCHES DO???
First of all...you don't know me and don't know who and what I know. I have worked as an AF M.T.I. in the past during my enlisted days and have experience working alongside many Marine D.I.s, Army and Navy at drill meets. We all talk to each other!! No disrespect given, but it is a known fact that the A.F. pays more attention to detail and precision when it comes to teaching drill in Basic Training. So much that the other branches make fun of us.
Last edited by Remington Steel; 11-06-2016 at 06:13 PM..
(marching).............what I remember from Navy boot camp days is our Company Commander Bliss MM1 shouting..........." drive that left heel, drive that left heel "
Believe me. ...I can guarantee the A.F. puts a lot more time and effort into marching & drill during basic than any other branch. The other branches may say they have more "important" things to teach....which may be true. This is coming from an ex Air Force M.T.I.
I did almost 26 years in the Air Guard. After I did six years in the Marine Corps. I have seen how both march and how they handle formation commands and the Marines are much better at it.
First of all...you don't know me and don't know who and what I know. I have worked as an AF M.T.I. in the past during my enlisted days and have experience working alongside many Marine D.I.s, Army and Navy at drill meets. We all talk to each other!! No disrespect given, but it is a known fact that the A.F. pays more attention to detail and precision when it comes to teaching drill in Basic Training. So much that the other branches make fun of us.
Was there supposed to be a second of all? I love how you feel the need to point out how I don't know you, yet some how you know how every branch of the military trains..
Known fact to who?? you??? I'll give you another known fact.. NO MARINE WILL EVER AGREE TO THAT.
Saying that A.F. pays more attention to detail and precision IN ANYTHING, compared to all the other branches is one of the most bias things I've ever heard.
I am from San Antonio, I have seen more than enough A.F. training to say.... THEY ARE NOWHERE NEAR AS PRECISE AS ..... ANY.... OF THE OTHER BRANCHES. Let alone all of them.
And unlike YOUR obvious BIAS, I was in the Army, and I will admit, that the Marines have every one beat.
Was there supposed to be a second of all? I love how you feel the need to point out how I don't know you, yet some how you know how every branch of the military trains..
Known fact to who?? you??? I'll give you another known fact.. NO MARINE WILL EVER AGREE TO THAT.
Saying that A.F. pays more attention to detail and precision IN ANYTHING, compared to all the other branches is one of the most bias things I've ever heard.
I am from San Antonio, I have seen more than enough A.F. training to say.... THEY ARE NOWHERE NEAR AS PRECISE AS ..... ANY.... OF THE OTHER BRANCHES. Let alone all of them.
And unlike YOUR obvious BIAS, I was in the Army, and I will admit, that the Marines have every one beat.
And this is where I insert a funny story.
I was at the Joint Intelligence Center-Pacific (JICPAC) on Pearl Harbor in the early 90s when we were just starting out with this "joint thing" all the way down to the junior enlisted level. I was the senior Air Force NCO of my division--my boss was a Marine colonel and I had soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines working for me.
The first year or so was pretty tough. Each service had its own way of training and managing junior troops and running its daily business, and we senior NCOs/petty officers sometimes had some major clashes. Then we went through a transition period of checking with each other to learn enough of each other's service culture, and sometime into the second year things began to smooth out.
But I recall the first time we had a "Member of the Quarter" board. I was on it, as well as a senior Marine NCO, a senior petty officer, and a senior Army NCO. We had young troops of each service reporting to the board and being interviewed. Of course, we expected these would all be sharp troops, the sharpest of the organization.
The soldier and the airman were pretty similar. Snappy, close to perfect, not particularly different (and shouldn't have been, considering the roots of the Air Force are in the Army).
Then a sailor came in. He just kind of sauntered in. Kinda stood straight. Didn't salute or anything (services differ on saluting indoors, and I wasn't sure what the Navy did). When he sat down, he leaned back and crossed his knee. We gave WTF side eyes to our Senior Petty Officer who just shrugged.
The Marine marched in, and, yeah, he had a bit more snap than the airman or the soldier. He reported to the board and then...did a sharp about face. We looked over at our Marine Master Sergeant. He said, "That's so you can inspect him from the rear." Okay, then.
Then we had our second sailor come in. He was quite a bit snappier than the first sailor. When he came to a halt in front of the board, he assumed a position that was actually identifiable as parade rest. Wow.
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And those recruits, now Marines, will emulate those DI's the rest of their career but I dare say they'll never march as well as they did on that boot camp graduation day. 
I feel like this is such a troll post.. HOW WOULD YOU HAVE ANY CLUE OF WHAT THE OTHER BRANCHES DO???
