Drill (Parade) in FFO

[Buttons]

Hello

Been a silent observer for years, did a search could not find an answer.

My unit is doing a 13-16km parade through the city. CO wants it to be in FFO - cool - except they want to do parade drill with weapons (arms swung 'mag'-pocket high, change arms on the march around canteen/c9 pouches). Personally I think this is going to look horrible as I think soldiers in ffo should carry their weapons like soldiers wearing ffo, and having some long parade experience, I think the troops will just say f*** it by km 5 and just be slack anyway.

Looking for advice on how to disuade this, either doctrinal or logical.

FFO with Helmets vs Scarlet dress already suggests a different posture, I'm suggesting easy march with barrels down to fit the dress better.  Stationary sure, shoulder arms.

 

[TCM621]

Well it looks like shit,  so there is that. Watch any group of BMQ or DP1 students marching around with their elbows flailed (to get around pouches) and you will realize it is futile. Whatever happened to a smartly turned out unit showing pride in their number 1s? I would dissuade any  unit if walking through a city with weapons at the low ready. You will have people howling about jack booted thugs in no time. Parade when it's parade time and patrol when it's patrol time.

 

[Loachman]

Regular unit, or Reserve?

 

[PuckChaser]

I've done a change of command parade before in FFO. You can do the drill movements, but the timing needs to slow down a bit to compensate for the extra gear.

I also think its a stupid idea to march someone at standard pace holding rifles at shoulder arms for 13-16km, even if you're changing arms. Just by the nature of how people march while doing drill, you're going to get some destroyed feet. Probably much easier to have rifles slung, and marched at easy march.

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

I have a hard time believing there is any such thing as a 13 to 16 Km parade held anywhere in Canada, for anything.

If you did  that on Yonge Street in TO, starting from the corner of King right downtown, the parade would take you to Sheppard ave., on the north side of the 401, to get to 13 Km, and 16 would put you mid way between Finch and Steeles avenues.

The two longest parades I can think of are the Montreal and Toronto Santa Claus parades, and they are two and a half to three Kms only.

 

[daftandbarmy]

It's official. Your CO is an idiot. Leave before he gets you.all killed.

 

[mariomike]

I have a hard time believing there is any such thing as a 13 to 16 Km parade held anywhere in Canada, for anything.

If you did  that on Yonge Street in TO, starting from the corner of King right downtown, the parade would take you to Sheppard ave., on the north side of the 401, to get to 13 Km, and 16 would put you mid way between Finch and Steeles avenues.

The two longest parades I can think of are the Montreal and Toronto Santa Claus parades, and they are two and a half to three Kms only.

Right.
The TO Santa Claus parade route is 5 - 6 kilometres long.
Walking from Yonge and King to Yonge and Steeles would be 17 km.

My unit is doing a 13-16km parade through the city.

I wonder what city that is?

 

[RedcapCrusader]

Even the Calgary Stampede Parade isn't that long, and they only have maybe a section of troops in FFO, 4 max in ghillie suits. Everyone else is in No. 1.

This is pretty bizarre

 

[Pusser]

"Parade in FFO" is an oxymoron and the guy who thought this up is simply a moron.

 

[PuckChaser]

I just hope it's not in a BC or southern Ontario town. Some hippy is going to call the RCMP and say there's an invasion, and your whole unit will get to feel what it's like to be in a high risk takedown.

 

[mariomike]

Even the Calgary Stampede Parade isn't that long,

"The five kilometre parade route..."
http://calgary.ctvnews.ca/what-you-need-to-know-to-plan-your-calgary-stampede-parade-day-1.1896103

http://storage.calgarysun.com/v1/suns-prod-images/1297282024470_ORIGINAL.jpg?quality=80
Looks like it covers a distance of about 2.5 kilometres, then turns up a parallel street.

I just hope it's not in a BC or southern Ontario town. Some hippy is going to call the RCMP and say there's an invasion, and your whole unit will get to feel what it's like to be in a high risk takedown.

Should be ok for the Warrior's Day Parade 
http://www.thewarriorsdayparade.ca/Index.htm

 

[medicineman]

I've done some pretty stupid things like that...in the 80's/90's.  Had a platoon commander in Calgary that made us do a 10km workup for the 2 x 16 on base at the shoulder arms, occasionally changing to the high port to double around.  He was hoping to run into a senior officer to show us off doing an eyes right :.  My old Reserve unit used to compete in a national trophy competition that started with a parade in FFO - '82 pattern stuff - which was a tad awkward, especially the march past, since pouches were getting in the way.  We had C1's at the time...our CO once forgot to shoulder us for a march past on the award parade for the same trophy, so we did the march past at the short trail.  That was not all that fun.

Also did a colour guard as an Army Cadet mannnnny moons ago, with C1's, that was about 5-6km long, with several change arms along the way.  We were, however, in Artillery Dress Blues, not FFO.  My arms were pretty sore after though I'll tell you.

MM

 

[Eye In The Sky]

"Parade in FFO" is an oxymoron and the guy who thought this up is simply a moron.

I've done a few parades in FFO, including a COC parade.  :nod:  I actually preferred that to "DEU and whites"!

However, a 10+ km march at the shoulder arms... rly:

 

[a_majoor]

The only drill I have ever been associated with involving FFO is "Pack Drill" as punishment for soldiers. Giving drill to soldiers on pack drill is actually difficult, since (as noted) you have to slow things down to ensure that the movements can actually be carried out when the soldier is carrying/wearing all that kit, whereas the CSM wants them to be doing everything at the quick time (or even close to "rifle" drill speed)

I'm afraid the "13km" part of the question is raising a red flag, since I have never seen a parade anywhere near that long. The only other semi rational explanation is someone was talking about doing the BFT, and the conversation somehow mutated like a game of telephone gone extremely haywire.

 

[medicineman]

Having said that, there are innumerable fuqtards that are good idea faeries that might come up with AND be able to sell that idea. 

MM

 

[armyvern]

It's official. Your CO is an idiot. Leave before he gets you.all killed.

You win the internet today.

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

The OP has not been back to let us know where this mythical 13-16 Km parade was to take place. I think we may all have fallen prey to a trickster here.

 

[PuckChaser]

Or he died on the march and we won't ever hear back.

 

[medicineman]

Or he died on the march and we won't ever hear back.

I'm thinking that might be a valid point...

MM

 

[blackberet17]

are we calling it all :bullshit: then?