UPDATES/CLARIFICATIONS

NATIONALS DRILL CAMP It could shape your JROTC career forever

#1 - 31 July 2024: Initial Website Set-up
These docs are used by so many teams across the nation, we post this first. Updated floor layouts and dozens of other documents including the updated 2025 prices will come in the ensuing weeks.

There are now just TWO SOPs. Read BOTH to best prepare your school. Involve your cadets in reading them!

School Entry site will be open in early October, along with posting of the floor layouts and other items. Good Luck to all cadet!

#2 - 2 September 2024: Conflicting information regarding Color Guard Hardware
In January of 2024, all schools were notified via the SOP Updates site and within the previous year SOP that wooden poles were going to become a requirement at the NHSDTC in May 2025 and beyond. This was done to give all schools time to prepare. The Air Force and Army JROTC HQs agreed that 8' OR 9-1/2' hardwood poles would be the only poles authorized for their events so all would move to this guidance beginning with the 2025 NHSDTC competition.

The 2025 NHSDTC Competition SOP was posted last month and as promised, the new Color Guard regs were posted, bolded and underlined in the first section of the color guard regulations detailing these promised color guard equipment regs to include the requirement of only hardwood poles. However, it was just brought to our attention that sections later in the document, a piece of the previous SOP that had contradictory information listing "hardwood and aluminum poles" would be authorized.

Therefore this update is written to clarify and ensure there is no confusion. The offending contradictory text allowing any aluminum poles has been removed from the SOP, leaving only the original bolded and underlined regulations under 6.A.3. Copied directly from the SOP, here is the entire written section specified in 6.A.3. for performing color guards to utilize without gaining an equipment penalty:

"For 2025 and beyond:
1) Teams must use hardwood poles of minimum 8' and equal height;
2) The Colors must be a minimum of 3' x 4';
3) The organizational flag must be a state flag or JROTC flag ONLY;
4) Fringe is OPTIONAL on all flags; and
5) All teams MUST use a SPADE as their top finial except NJROTC units which may use a service-approved battle-ax IAW their service manual."

With these rules now in place, judges will no longer be told to utilize any subjectivity on the degree of difficulty anything maintains to execute - they "judge what they see as they see it".

#3 - 11 September 2024: Specific Info Regarding Velcro Slings
Velcro Slings for Color Guard fall under the catagory of "non-standard items" and therefore are NOT AUTHORIZED at this competition. Three of the four services currently do not authorize them for their service championships and in the estimation of SNI, they yield a vast advantage to the standard metal clamping system in use for decades. SNI has made a giant push towards standardizing color guard performances to make the results judges put forth more standard. Allowing this device will not further this effort. SNI LOVES THIS TECHNOLOGY and believes one day in the future it may become the standard across the military - but that day is not today for most service championships or at the all-service NHSDTC.

#4 - 03 October 2024: REVISION ONE (REV1) SOP to post FRIDAY October 4th by 5pm EST
Several new and major items are being cleaned up and included for the 2025 competition SOP. For clarity, a REV1 edition of the SOP will be posted to incorporate these changes. It will include the relavent SOP Update items above under #2 and #3 along with more details on rifle weights and a few other minor changes to better insure all schools and judges will be working from the CORRECTED SOP for the May, 2025 competition that will form the basis of the judging instruction. NOTE: AS ALWAYS, SNI SYRONGLY RECOMMENDS ALL SCHOOLS CAREFULLY REVIEW THE SOP AND ASK QUESTIONS FOR ANYTHING THEY ARE UNCLEAR ON.

#5 - 20 November 2024: Air Force JROTC moves Drill Adhereable to JROTC Phamplets
The Learn to Lead (L2L) Guide is the manual AFJROTC wishes to utilize for their cadets involving competition drill going orward. This becomes a bit problematic as FEW AF DRILL EXPERTS have working knowledge of this manual. Frankly in practicality, the DAFP 34-1203 is still used for unarmed drill and the Army TC 3-21.5 is used for armed drill and color guard so judges will not be in the dark and SNI will be training hard to have them ready.

To be more accurate and to alert the judge to this fact, the following will be expected to verbalize and will be best received from those AF teams competing in SNI drill & ceremony competitions:

"(judges rank) - The (team name) unarmed drill team from (school name) in (city, state) is prepared for (event name). We will drill in accordance with all Air Force JROTC Drill & Ceremony Pamphlets." Some also close and ask permission, "We request permission to utilize your drill area, (judge rank))". Armed Drill Teams will addvalso after event name, "Marching And Rifle Movements Are in Accordance and all drill in accordance with..."

For Inspection: Add after event name, "Our uniforms are prepared In Accordance with AFI 36-2903 and AFJROTC Chapter 7, Operations Supplement."

#6 - 20 March 2025: Clarity on Inspection Procedures
The NHSDTC strives to ensure uniformity where possible between the Army Championhips the previous day and the NHSDTC. It was recently found that the Inspection regs for closing and departing (Page 11, Topic 4 UNIT INSPECTION, Section B, Inspection Procedures, Paragraphs 8-10) maintained an incorrect version of the c/CDR Closing ranksthat did NOT parallel the Army regs. This modification now mirrors the Army regs, is found in the NHSDTC SOP on-line, and is now the ONLY correct way to end Inspection and depart the room.

FROM THE SOP:

8. When the Head Judge inspects the final cadet of the 1st squad, the cadet commander is "in space" to the judges right. When completed with the final cadet inspection in their rank, the head judge then cuts in front of the cadet commander and moves to the rear of the 1st squad. At that point the cadet FOLLOWS the head judge. When the judge reaches the end of the rank, both the judge and the cadet move to their original positions at the front of the formation with the Cadet Commander between the Head Judge and the formation of cadets. The cadet will then execute About Face to see the formation to ensure ALL judges have completed their inspection and to give the next command.

9. When the Cadet Commander is sure all judges have completed their inspection, the cadet commander will then execute "Close Ranks, March". The Cadet Commander will then execute "About, Face" and verbally report out to the Head Judge making clear they are finished. The judge will then return the salute. The Cadet Commander will then execute "About Face", and then command the unit out of the room. This is generally done with a "Column of Files/Files from the Left" (squad/element leaders give appropriate supplemental commands) to exit through the exit doorway.

10. On the command, "Close Ranks, March", an extra cadet, parent or team follower moves quickly and quietly to open/hold the exit door for the team. The Cadet Commander should remain inside the room and follow the 4th squad out the door as they leave.