Homecoming Parade

One of the traditions of the NROTC program at Penn State is that ever year the freshman march in the Homecoming parade.  Friday October 13^th I was part of that tradition.

This is not an event that we take lightly.  Since one week before school started this fall the freshman midshipman (Naval ROTC) have been practicing twice a week at 5:30-7:00am, at the Wagner building.  Unlike the other ROTC programs, Army and Air Force, it is only freshman in this parade, meaning we had to start from scratch.  The other programs upper class-men, who have been exposed to drill march in this parade.

To become proficient at drill it takes hundred of hours, unfortunately (but also fortunately) we did not have that much practice.  In total we may have practiced approximately 20-30hours.  That time was spent practicing turning left and right (Colum left/right) and marching in a straight line.  It is much harder that one would think.  You have to stay aligned with the person in front of you, to the side, make sure your steps are right, while never looking anywhere but straight ahead.  And hold a M16-A2.

On parade day the weather predicted rain... the weather was holding in till around 1pm it started pouring.  I was thinking to myself this is going to be awful marching in but lucky by the time I had to report to the Wagner building (by the IM building) the rain had subsided and the Sun had come out.

The parade was scheduled to start at 6:00pm but we arrived at Wagner and got in formation at 4:30pm. Honestly, the worst part was just waiting for the parade to begin.  Once it did it was super neat.  I will admit I peaked around some at the packed sidewalks along the parade route (I am never supposed to look anywhere but straight ahead while in formation), to just take in how many people wear their.

The route was down Curtin, starting at the IM building, take a left onto Bigler, then right on Pollock, left on Shortlidge, right onto college, and ended after we took a right off college onto Burrows.  The whole route was packed but there was one place that stood out. 

It is another tradition that all the NROTC upper-class midshipman wait at café 210 on college for us to march by.  When we do they go crazy, I have never heard human voices reach the volume they did.  That was a special moment for all of us freshman, that highlighted the Homecoming Parade.

In typical NROTC fashion while we were waiting at Wagner to put the M16-A2 back we had a drill contest.  Which included rifle Manuel, which is wear you manipulate the rifle from the ground to different positions at the whim of the caller.  This contest was intense.  I would never have though two months ago that I would have enjoyed a drill contest but I can honestly say I did. 

Now us freshman get a break from drill for two weeks, but then it starts back up.  We will be back on the 5:30am schedule as we prepare for the Villanova Military Excellence Competition, which is at the end of the spring semester.