Ceremonial Drill School

a firsthand account of Marine Barracks Washington's introductory drill course

Jan 30, 2023

It didn’t start well.

As I was suiting up for my first day of Ceremonial Drill School (CDS) and pulling the ends of my Sam Browne belt together around my waist, I made a nauseating discovery: I left the gold buckle in my closet 20 miles away at home.

The time was 7:19 a.m. I had 41 minutes to find a solution and walk from my office on Washington Navy Yard to the Marine Barracks Washington gymnasium before the commanding officer was scheduled to deliver opening remarks.

I had several nightmares about CDS before “training day one” arrived on January 9, 2023. Before I was selected to serve as the unit’s Communication Strategy and Operations (COMMSTRAT) Officer, I eagerly scribbled notes from my apartment in Sneads Ferry, North Carolina, as my predecessor answered my questions about her role and last three years in D.C.

“Every officer completes Ceremonial Drill School” was underlined twice. “Probably will complete Jan course if wedding is in Oct” was written just underneath.

I had never particularly enjoyed drill, or been any good at it, for that matter. If you look closely, it seems I was marching mid-nap during the U.S. Naval Academy’s Plebe Summer in the heat of 2015.

Back to the nightmare I wasn’t going to wake up from: my missing belt buckle. After ninety-some seconds of manic, mindless brainstorming… Does the Navy PX down the street sell Sam Browne belts? Are they even open yet? Would they notice if I wore my fair leather belt instead? Should I mend a buckle from tin foil?

… I snapped to my senses asked a fellow Marine officer down the hall. Fortunately, she had her belt at work and was willing to lend me her buckle for the day.

With my heart pounding and palms sweating, I assembled the remaining parts of my drill uniform and hurried out the door. On my walk from the Washington Navy Yard gate to the Marine Barracks Washington gymnasium, several Marines jestingly offered “good luck at CDS” as I incessantly checked my watch. The time was 7:58 a.m. as I slipped through the gym doors. I relievedly answered, “here” when the Drill Master called my name.

What is Ceremonial Drill School?

I should probably start by introducing you to Marine Barracks Washington.

Marine Barracks Washington, also known as "8th & I," is the oldest active post in the Marine Corps. It was founded in 1801 by President Thomas Jefferson and Lt. Col. William Ward Burrows.

The Barracks supports both ceremonial and security missions in the nation's capital and is home to many nationally recognized units, including the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon, the Marine Drum and Bugle Corps, the Marine Band, the official Marine Corps Color Guard, and the Marine Corps Body Bearers. It is also the site of the Home of the Commandants, which together with the Barracks, is a registered national historic landmark.

To prepare to execute flawless funerals, ceremonies, and parades, all officers and staff noncommissioned officers of the Barracks complete CDS.

The three-week course teaches the fundamentals of marching, sword manual, voice commands and uniform preparation. For the culminating event, Marines perform a modified parade sequence in front of an audience of Marines and the commanding officer, where they are evaluated by instructors.

While drill hardly crossed my mind while I served as a COMMSTRAT Officer for 2d Marine Division in Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, there is no doubt that mastery of these skills is essential to successfully support the mission of Marine Barracks Washington.

I checked into Marine Barracks Washington in March 2022 and have watched in awe as Marines perform funerals, ceremonies, concerts, and parades around the nation. Ceremonial Drill School is offered each January and October, but I missed the October course last year while I was away at my wedding.

By the numbers. Say the ditties. Hit the mirrors.

We spent the first two weeks breaking down the drill movements into individual counts. Repetition was the name of the game.

From 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. the instructors provided feedback and corrections as we worked through the syllabus. The first three hours of instruction were focused on facing movements and rendering a proper salute. Eventually, we moved to marching, voice commands, and sword manual.

Something unique about drill at Marine Barracks Washington: practice is conducted in the M65 field jacket over the service “C” uniform.

The M65 jacket is more durable than the dress blues blouse but meant to simulate the weight and feel.

The majority of drill practice during CDS is conducted in the Barracks parking garage, better known as the UP/LP (upper parking/lower parking.) There are mirrors installed along the walls for Marines to observe their practice and perfect their movements.

I spent weekday mornings practicing with my classmates, my commutes rolling through verbal commands, and weekends healing my bruised right shoulder. (It only takes a handful of poorly executed sword pops to develop a gnarly bruised arm.)

The final week of the course was dedicated to perfecting the sequence and preparing for the final evaluation.

It ended well.

Believe it or not, I was excited for evaluation day. I was looking forward to completing this 8th & I rite of passage and feeling like a true “Barracks Marine.”

I was third to perform in my class of approximately 20 students. I showed up to the gym early to visualize successful execution of the sequence. As the clock approached 8:00 a.m., the gym bleachers filled with enthusiastic Marines. I was nervous but ready, and in a much better headspace than I was on training day one. (I don’t think I’ll ever forget a uniform item again.)

I wanted to include a few video clips from my evaluation, but Substack will only allow me to upload still images. I plan to share a few on Twitter if you’ll join me there.

Join me on Twitter

Did you know? At 8th & I, the armpit fabric of the dress blues blouse is replaced with a stretchy, elastic material to make drill movements easier to execute.

From start to finish, the evaluation took about eight minutes, but it felt like an eternity. I took my time “shaking it out” and resetting my mind between each tested objective. The day before, we were each afforded a “pre-evaluation” period where we executed the full sequence in front of instructors but without a live audience. I spilled my coffee on the way to my pre-eval, called a flanking movement on the wrong foot, and walked straight into the gym wall.

I couldn’t wait to get through that particular portion of my final evaluation and prayed I wouldn’t freeze up. I still have a lot of room for improvement, but my final evaluation went off without a hitch. The instructors were phenomenal and prepared us for success.

I felt a wave of relief and fulfillment the moment my commanding officer returned my salute and congratulated me for completing the course.

It’s not over yet…

In just a week and a half, I’ll be trying out for parade staff. I suppose I should get to learning the new sequence. If I do well, you just might see me on the 8th & I parade deck this summer.

What questions do you have about CDS? Leave me a comment and I’ll get back to you!