MCB HAWAII, KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii -- One of the easiest ways to embarrass nearly every Marine and Sailor in your unit is to fall out of formation during a ceremony or parade.
Every Marine learns how to stand in formation at the position of attention, but during nearly every ceremony aboard MCB Hawaii, at least one departs the formation and staggers off to visit the corpsman.
Everyone has seen it happen - an entire battalion is on the parade deck, perfectly covered and aligned, and looking sharp in Dress Blue Deltas. Family members and guests from the community fill the bleachers, watching the ceremony, impressed by the Marines' discipline.
All of a sudden, something near the rear of one of the formations catches everyone's eyes. Someone decided to leave the ranks and head off the field.
That type of incident usually doesn't slow the ceremony down at all, and some guests may not give it a second thought, but it shows a lack of preparation and a lack of discipline - the last characteristics a Marine unit wants associated with it.
Staff Sgt. Jesse McGuire, a platoon advisor at the Staff Noncommissioned Officers Academy aboard MCB Hawaii, said one way to avoid losing Marines during ceremonies is to schedule them in the cooler parts of the day rather than when the sun is beating down.
When the ceremony can't be scheduled around the hottest part of the day, though, the Marines need to mentally and physically prepare to stand in formation.
The instructors at the academy have combined drill field experience totaling dozens of years, and they say the best way to stay in formation is to remember the position of attention, and focus on staying in it.
The most common reason some Marines fall out, according to McGuire, is that they don't drink enough water the day before the formation, and they lock their knees while at the position of attention. With the climate as hot as it is in Hawaii, McGuire said hydration and focus are crucial.
The position of attention was developed to be the position from which most drill movements begin, and it's the best way to stand in the same place, motionless, for an extended period of time.
To get into a comfortable position of attention, bring your heels together, and turn your feet out equally to form a 45-degree angle. Your legs should be straight, and not stiff (knees should not be locked).
Hips should be level and drawn back slightly, body held erect and resting equally on the hips, head and shoulders square, and arms hanging straight down naturally.
Thumbs should be along trouser seams or side of skirt, palms facing inboard, and fingers held in their natural curl.
Marines have dozens of ways to stay awake during a formation - like wiggling their toes a little or flexing different muscles - but the most important thing to do is focus on the sequence of events for the ceremony to avoid missing the cue to begin rifle manual or drill movements.
Practicing the position of attention, and drinking plenty of water, are two simple steps that will help more Marines stay in formation.
Americans know that Marines are the most disciplined group of warriors in the world, and if each Marine concentrates on showing this discipline to stay in formation during ceremonies and parades, there will be no reason for the public to change its collective mind.