The goal of the Drill & Ceremonies School is to provide the participant a good foundation in the proper conduct of drill and ceremonies per AFMAN 36-2203. Cadets will focus on D&C at the basic and advanced levels to improve their ability to lead within the leadership laboratory of the Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program. Seniors will learn basic drill and focus on what they need to mentor cadets concerning D&C.

Comparing DCS to Encampment, you get as much drill in a weekend of DCS as in a week of Encampment. The difference is that at DCS the instructors teach drill absolutely to standard – a standard we haven’t yet reached in every flight at Encampment. DCS is an excellent school to both develop your leadership skills and prepare to excel in CAP and as an Encampment Cadre member.

DCS is conducted over a weekend, with about 21 hours of curriculum taught between Friday evening and Sunday afternoon. All three programs are integrated into the schedule, taking advantage of the synchronicity gained by the different levels interacting. It’s normally taught twice a year, once each in Northern and Southern California. Graduates have gone on to be successful as flight and squadron staff at California Wing Encampment.

DCS covers the basics of drill – every command in the book! The target audience is Phase One cadets, and the goal is to cover all drill in Chapters 3 and 4 of AFMAN 36-2203, taught to standard. DCS concludes with a drill competition, and includes introductory information on innovative drill, manual of the guidon and rules of the Guide, formations, physical training, and jodies.

Advanced DCS (ADCS) targets Phase Two cadets, though Phase Three cadets who want to hone their skills often attend as well. Focus is on the drill commander – how to give commands, lead formations, teach drill, know and avoid common drill errors, and march the flight with confidence and competence. ADCS includes modules on Color Guard, Reveille and Retreat formations, squadron drill, inspecting the flight, and calling jodies.

Senior DCS (SDCS) targets Senior Members who want to know more about D&C either because they’re just interested or (mostly) to be able to mentor cadets concerning D&C within the CAP Leadership Laboratory. Aimed at seniors who have no drill experience, SDCS teaches the basics of drill and drill command, in many of the same DCS and ADCS classes, with extra materiel thrown in regarding philosophy and how to use drill as a leadership tool. Seniors in SDCS learn to march to a certain extent, but more importantly, they learn to implement a well formed leadership program using drill and ceremonies as its base.