Precision Drill Squad (Singapore)
Precision Drill Squad (PDS) is a form of Exhibition drill practised by the Singapore National Cadet Corps which involves the execution of rifle drills in complex series of movements with great co-ordination and precision. The natures of these drills exhibit a plethora of diversity; they may be sharp and quick, graceful and flowing, or include a wide variety of tossing and spinning techniques. During performances, cadets move in unison through choreographed patterns with the rifles moving under their control, always synchronised with the rhythm of the music. Drills are executed without command and the only sound that is heard is the snap and pop of the rifles on every step, in perfect synchronisation and with precision.
PDS is mainly performed by a few privileged National Cadet Corps units in Singapore, usually at school events, inter-unit competitions or open houses.
Origin
PDS is derived from Exhibition Rifle drill, which originated from the United States of America and have since spread to many other countries such as Canada, Australia and Taiwan. PDS is practiced by a few NCC (National Cadet Corps) and NPCC (National Police Cadet Corps) units e.g. (YTSS NPCC PDS) . It is based on the Silent Precision Drill Squad (SPDS) Changing of Guard ceremony performed by the Singapore Armed Forces Military Police Command at the gates of the Istana on the first Sunday of every month. Due to its rarity and difficulty, the element of PDS in NCC units is considered a great privilege.
Equipment
Rifles
PDS is most commonly executed with either the 4 kg (8.8 lbs) Lee-Enfield Mk IV rifle, or the many variations of the Mk IV fiberglass or wooden replica rifles, which are 105.5 cm long, 3.2 cm thick at the muzzle, and weigh from 1.6 kg to 5.0 kg. Variations include the Performance rifle or the heavier Competition rifle. The dummy rifles are black by default, but come in various colours and designs to match the nature of the performance. Some versions include metal bases, tips or other additions to enhance the 'feel' of the performance. M-16 rifles are also sometimes used, and on occasion, with bayonets fixed.
Attire
The official attire for PDS, as stipulated by HQ NCC, is the Smart No. 4 uniform, while air or sea units can wear their respective No. 3 uniforms without badges. Since Land units only receive their No.3 uniform at the completion of the Cadet Officer Course, No. 3 uniforms are sometimes borrowed for the sake of performances. In this case, the No. 3 uniform is worn with white stable belts, white polyester laces and combat boots with trousers tucked into garters, in imitation of the Military Police No. 3. Attire can be modified, such as Half No. 4 with Jockey Cap, Half No. 3 or No. 3 with Brassards labelled "PDS", "Precision Drill" or with ranks embroidered, also in imitation of the SAF Military Police attire. White gloves can be worn for performances.
Participating Schools
These are the NCC units that are known to practice Precision drill:
| School | District | Achievement |
|---|---|---|
| Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) | West | |
| Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) | Sea | National 5th (2012) |
| Ang Mo Kio Secondary School | Central | |
| Ang Mo Kio Secondary School | Air | National 3rd (2011) |
| Anderson Secondary School | Central | |
| Anglican High School | East | |
| Beatty Secondary School | Central | |
| Bedok Green Secondary School | East | |
| Bedok View Secondary School | East | |
| Bukit Merah Secondary School | West | |
| Bukit Panjang Government High School | West | National 8th (2011) |
| Catholic High School | Air | National 6th (2011) |
| Chung Cheng High School(Main) | East | |
| Chung Cheng High School(Yishun) | Air | |
| Clementi Town Secondary School | West | |
| Deyi Secondary School | Central | |
| Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary) | West | National 4th (2012) |
| Henderson Secondary School | West | |
| Hwa Chong Institution | West | National 1st runner up (2011, 2012) |
| Junyuan Secondary School | East | |
| Jurong West Secondary School | West | |
| Montfort Secondary School | Central | |
| Nanhua High School | West | |
| Naval base Secondary School | Central | |
| Nan Chiau High School | Central | |
| North View Secondary School | Air | |
| Pasir Ris Crest Secondary | East | |
| Pierce Secondary School | Central | |
| Regent Secondary School | West | |
| St. Joseph's Institution | Central | |
| Tanjong Katong Secondary School | East | National 5th (2011), National 3rd (2012) |
| Temasek Secondary School | East | |
| Woodgrove Seconadry School | Central | |
| Woodlands Secondary School | Central | |
| Yishun Town Secondary School | Central | National Champions (2011, 2012), Centre of Excellence |
Centre of Excellence
As a Centre of Excellence, the unit's Centre of Excellence council is given the autonomous right to train key stakeholders of NCC units of other schools and issue them Basic PDS badges on their course completion.
Training courses
Basic PDS course and certification
Cadets from NCC PDS units have the opportunity to attend the Basic PDS course, held at the NCC campus at Amoy Quee Camp four times a year. During the course cadets are instructed in the execution of basic PDS drills, more commonly referred to as the basic 19. Cadets are tested based on two categories, Drill Execution and Presentation. Upon passing of the test, cadets will attain the Basic PDS badge and a Certificate. Units which include Basic PDS in their training syllabus may skip the course entirely and send their cadets for Basic PDS certification directly.
Auxiliary Instructor course
Upon passing of a stringent selection test outstanding cadets will have the privilege of attending the PDS Auxiliary Instructor Course. The course will cover 7 advanced arm drills, basic choreography and train participants on the conduct of PDS as an instructor. Upon graduation from the course, these cadets are qualified to conduct PDS trainings in their respective school units. Currently, the PDS Auxiliary Instructor Course is either held at Amoy Quee Camp, a selected school unit or Mowbray Camp, which is conducted by instructors from the SAF Military Police Command. Cadets who complete the course will attain the PDS AI badge and a Certificate.
Inter-Unit Competition
The inaugural 1st NCC Silent Precision Drill Squad Competition was held on 12 June 2010, and has since been held annually at HQ NCC in Amoy Quee Camp. The Competition gives the various school units the opportunity to present their choreography skills and drill standards, giving recognition to the best drill squads. The Competition includes an inspection of appearance and bearing, a General Knowledge test, and an evaluation of the squad's performance.
The scoring criteria for the PDS competition:
| Evaluation Criteria | Total Points |
|---|---|
| Appearance and Bearing | 20 |
| General Knowledge | 20 |
| Six Basic Drills | 40 |
| Precision of Movements | 40 |
| Variety of Movements | 40 |
| Originality of Movements | 40 |
| Difficulty of Movements | 40 |
| Showmanship | 40 |
| Floor Coverage | 20 |
| Total | 300 |
An additional deduction of 25 points will be for every cadet under the minimum squad size of 12, 5 points for boundary violations during the performance, 10 and 25 points respectively for slipping or dropping of rifles, and 2 points for every second the performance fails to meet the criteria of being restricted within 4 to 6 minutes in length.
Types of Performance
PDS performances can be generally classified under two major types, Stage Performances and Field Performances.
Stage Performances
PDS Stage performances are smaller-scaled performances, generally with 10-20 performers on stage. Unlike the larger-scaled Field Performances, stage performances usually include more spectacular, advanced PDS drills. Stage performances have also been known to include special lighting effects into its performances.
Field Performances
PDS Field performances are the largest-scaled performances, generally with 28-40 performers on a grass field or courtyard. Unlike the smaller-scaled Stage Performances, Field Performances can be displayed to a significantly much larger crowd of spectators. Pyrotechnic devices such as sparks or fireworks could be included in its performances.
Drill Syllabus
PDS Drills can be classified into Marching Arm Drills, Salute Arm Drills, Dressing Arm Drills, Performance Arm Drills and Advanced Arm Drills. Amongst the Advanced Arm Drills, there are a number of drills which are taught during the PDS Auxiliary Instructor course, and are better known as AI Drills. The other Advanced Drills are usually performed only in stage performances and are done without timing or as a solo display. The list of Advanced drills is non-exhaustive, given the infinite possibility of drills that can be invented or modified for the purpose of performances, and some of these drills are exclusively performed by the units that invented them.
Basic Arm Drills
Marching Arm Drills
- Slapping Arm (12+1)
- Sungfoo Arm (14+1)
- Double Right Arm (28+1)
- Slow Markal Arm (16+1)
Salute Arm Drills
- 11-Step Salute (10+1)
- Butt Salute (8+1)
- Marine Salute (6+1)
Dressing Arm Drills
- Popeye Arm (12+1)
- Balancing Arm (16+1)
- Pungfoo Arm (10+1)
- Modified Seagull Arm (Chingay Seagull) (14+1)
- Momo Arm (10+1)
Performance Arm Drills
- (Modified) Dragon Toss (26+1)
- Mortar Arm (18+1)
- Pipa Arm (16+1)
Advanced Arm Drills
AI course Drills
- Impact Arm (12+1)
- Ramesh Arm (20+1)
- Tapping Arm (18+1)
- Flipper Arm (22+1)
- Dolphin Arm (20+1)
- Champagne Arm (24+1)
- Original Seagull Arm (26+1)
Non-AI course Drills
- Sea Games Arm (14+1)
- Tamil Arm (14+1)
Tosses and spins
- Jumbo Arm
- Triple Jumbo
- Quint Toss
- Rotation Arm
- Double Rotation
- Vincent Toss
- Saturn Exchange Arm
- Back Saturn Exchange Arm
- Flying Fish Arm
- "T3H"
- "AXP"
- Tornado Toss
- Rising Sun
- Rising Moon
- Double Rising Sun
- J-hook
- M-hook
- D-hook
- Double J-hook
- Taiwanese arm
- Helicopter
- Double Helicopter
- Side Ninja
- Back Ninja
- Flowing
- Arch Angel
- Jesus Toss
- Fireknive
Performance Videos
Many of the NCC units have filmed their exhilarating performances and are available for free viewing on YouTube