Editing Drill commands (section)

==Historical drill commands for parade==

===Musket drill===
The 18th-century musket, as typified by the [[brown Bess]], was loaded and fired in the following way:

#Upon the command ''prime and load'' the soldier would bring the musket to the priming position, with the pan opened.
#Upon the command ''handle cartridge'' the soldier would draw a [[Cartridge (firearms)|cartridge]]. Cartridges consisted of a spherical lead [[musket ball|bullet]] wrapped in a [[paper cartridge]] which also held the [[gunpowder]] propellant. The bullet was separated from the powder charge by a twist in the paper.
#The soldier would then bite off the top of the cartridge (the end without the bullet) and hold it closed with the thumb and index finger.
#Upon the command ''prime''. The soldier would pour a small pinch of the powder from the cartridge into the priming pan. He would then close the frizzen so that the priming powder was trapped.
#Upon the command ''bout'' (about) the butt of the musket was then dropped to the ground by the left foot with the trigger guard facing to the rear and the soldier having just poured the rest of the powder into the barrel. Once all of the powder was poured into the barrel, the soldier would have stuffed the paper and the ball into the barrel, the paper acted as wadding to keep the gunpowder in the barrel and also packed it down.
#Upon the command ''draw ramrods'' the soldier would draw his ramrod from below the barrel. First forcing it half out before seizing it backhanded in the middle, followed by drawing it entirely out, while simultaneously turning it to the front and placing it one inch into the barrel.
#Upon the command ''ram down the cartridge'' he would then use the ramrod to firmly ram the bullet, wadding, and powder down to the bottom followed by tamping it down with two quick strokes.
#Upon the command ''return ramrods'' the ramrod was then returned to its hoops under the barrel. Then the musket was returned to the shoulder arms position.
#Upon the command ''make ready'' the musket was brought to the recover position (held vertically in front of the body with the trigger guard facing forward) and the cock (hammer) was drawn back to the full-cock position.
#Upon the command ''"P'sent"'' (present) the musket was brought up to the firing position in anticipation of the command ''fire''.

*Under battle conditions, many of these commands were combined for speed and efficiency. On the command ''prime and load'' troops would, without further order, carry out all movements up to and including ''make ready''. Because of the size of the companies and the general noise of battle, these commands could be and were often communicated through specialized drum beatings.
*This process was drilled into troops until they could do it by instinct and feel. The main advantage of the British Redcoats was that they trained at this procedure almost every day. The standard for the British Army was the ability to load and fire three rounds per minute. A skilled unit of musketeers was often able to fire four rounds per minute.

===Cavalry drill===
Cavalry drill had the purpose of training cavalrymen and their horses to work together during a battle. It survives {{as of | 2015 | alt = to this day}}, albeit in a much-diminished form, in the modern sporting discipline of [[dressage]]. The movements sideways or at angles, the pirouettes, etc., were the movements needed for massed cavalrymen to form and reform and deploy. Of the proponents of [[classical dressage]] from which modern dressage evolved, probably the best known{{original research inline|date=January 2015}} are the Lipizzaner Stallions of the [[Spanish Riding School]] in Vienna. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police's [[Musical Ride]] gives an inkling of what massed cavalry drill at speed would have looked like.

===Other drills===
Other tasks may be broken down into drills; for example, weapons maintenance in the British army used the rhythmic "naming of parts" as a memory aid in the teaching and learning of how to strip, clean, and reassemble the service rifle.