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The “drill world” is a place populated with wonderful individuals from all walks of life. Drill-Team Dynamics Inc. will spend the next several weeks introducing you to some of these amazing people, all of whom have unique insight and experience to share with others. There is a lesson to be learned from each of these drillers and we hope that you find their words both motivating and useful as you seek to improve yourself or your team!

 

Second Lieutenant Justin Delaurier

“If you can keep yourself and your team disciplined, there is no limit to the things you can accomplish. You will make in 30 minutes what takes undisciplined teams 3 weeks. That is one of the true secrets to success in drill as well as in life.”

Our next featured driller is Second Lieutenant Justin Delaurier. 2LT Delaurier has a strong background in drill. Beginning as a cadet in the highly competitive city of San Antonio, Texas, 2LT Delaurier competed nationally and continued his drill career as a “fish” in the prestigious Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets.

2LT Delaurier’s drill career is highlighted by impressive performances at a wide variety of post-high school drill competitions. This culminated in a World Championship at the 2013 Isis World Drill Championships. Within the span of several days, then-Cadet Delaurier won a World Championship title, graduated from Texas A&M University, and commissioned as a United States Army officer. Definitely impressive!

 

What are some of your accomplishments/achievements to date?
I placed first in solo at the Pro-America Drill Competition in 2010 as well as third place in tandem at the Pro-America Competition in 2011. I also placed third place in tandem at the Isis World Drill Championships in 2011 and culminated all my achievements with a World Champion performance at the Isis World Drill Championships in 2013.

As a team member I was the soloist (aka the “Nut”) for the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Fish Drill Team class of 2013. We managed to barely edge out the competition in 2010 at the Tulane Nationals to capture the title of National Collegiate Champions.

 

How long have you been drilling and how did you first get involved?
I believe I’ve been drilling for almost 9 years now. I first got involved in JROTC at John Marshall High School. I was inspired to join JROTC by a demonstration from Warren High School my 8th grade year in middle school.

 

What motivates you to keep drilling?
I want to be able to pass on all the knowledge that has been passed down to me over the years to new and upcoming drillers. It’s also something I don’t think I’ll ever be able to completely let go of, no matter how hard I try.

 

When you were first learning, who were your inspirations?
Shawn Piner and Adam Obregon. I watched their videos for hours on YouTube trying to figure out (at the time) very complicated sequences. It was a thrill to finally meet the two in person at Daytona my junior year of high school. If there was one team that really inspired me, it was the Black Watch Drill Team from Winston Churchill High School. Their level of excellence and precision was unmatched at the time.

 

Tell us about a moment in your drill career that was especially memorable.
My favorite moment in my drill career by far is walking up on the stage at the Awards Ceremony for the Isis World Drill Championships to receive my trophy. I was surrounded by the people that supported me the whole way through: my mother, my girlfriend, and most importantly my fellow drillers, many of which the opportunity would have never been possible without. The feeling was surreal. I don’t remember walking down to the stage. I only remember staring down at the crystal trophy and thinking, “I actually did it.” I was sure the experience was a dream; there were so many talented drillers on the floor that day that I almost couldn’t believe I had beaten them.

 

What is your favorite move, trick, or sequence and why?
My favorite move has got to be the Triple Ninja. If I were to have to describe it, it’s a triple that is thrown on your right side and caught with your left hand behind your head and your right hand facing backwards caught with the full length of your right arm. I’ve just always loved the move since I saw Mr. Corey Hartog perform it at the NHSDTC in 2008. It came easily to me and I’ve never stopped doing them since. It was also my finishing move at Isis in 2013.

 

What advice do you have for today’s drill team members?
My greatest asset this past drill season was visualization. To picture yourself walking up on that stage is a powerful tool. If you already envision yourself as a champion, then you can take the steps necessary to become one. If you don’t see it happening, it never will. Before each practice I did at home, I would visualize myself nailing the routine I had created out on the Isis drill floor and I imagined how it would feel to walk up on that stage. Surely enough, my dreams became a reality. But if you can imagine it, you can make it come true through hard work and persistence, but you have to know you can do it first.

Another important part of drill is discipline. If you embrace the military roots that drill comes from, you’ll be able to max out your score sheet. You have got to force yourself to practice like you plan to perform. During Fish Drill Team practices, they taught us to perform the way we were going to at Tulane and every time we didn’t, they made sure we suffered for it. But the concept stuck and I was fortunate enough to carry that concept with me for the next 4 years of my drill career and I still do to this day. If you can keep yourself and your team disciplined, there is no limit to the things you can accomplish. You will make in 30 minutes what takes undisciplined teams 3 weeks. That is one of the true secrets to success in drill as well as in life.

 

Thanks to 2LT Delaurier for sharing with us!

The “drill world” is a place populated with wonderful individuals from all walks of life. Drill-Team Dynamics Inc. will spend the next several weeks introducing you to some of these amazing people, all of whom have unique insight and experience to share with others. There is a lesson to be learned from each of these drillers and we hope that you find their words both motivating and useful as you seek to improve yourself or your team!

 

Mr. Fong Thao

“Your experience on the drill team is going to be how you make it. How would you want to be remembered? Challenge yourself, and dare to be GREAT. Anything is possible. “

Our next featured driller, Mr. Fong Thao, is a 2013 graduate also hailing from California. Mr. Thao captured our attention for several reasons. While many cadets are fortunate enough to attend schools with Nationally-competitive programs, scores more only dream of one day attending the National High School Drill Team Championships held annually by Sports Network International.  Mr. Thao separated himself from the pack by virtue of his determination and motivation. He worked tirelessly to fund his own trip across the country and proudly represented California at the most prestigious drill competition in the world. His work ethic and drive shows the drill world that with hard work, dreams do come true.

 

Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you first got involved in drill.
My name is Fong Thao from Sacramento, CA, alumni of Hiram Johnson High School, and future airman of the United States Air Force. I became familiar with drill when I first saw Blake Jackson and the Devil Pups Drill Team featured on the Disney film “Cadet Kelly.” I really enjoy watching armed precision drill teams and always wanted to be a part of a uniformed team. Fortunately many high schools in my school district had a JROTC program, so I joined the instant I got into high school.

 

Which individuals and teams did you look up to as a novice driller?
The teams that I really looked up to as a novice driller were the USMC Silent Drill Platoon, US Navy Ceremonial Guard Drill Team, USMA Black Knights, New Guard America, NU Shock Platoon, John Jay Silver Eagles, and most definitely the Hawaiian King’s Guard. I never had anyone to look up to for drill, but the three drillers that most inspire me were Langston Nguyen, Eron Fayson, and Matthew D. Wendling.

 

Tell us about your journey to the 2013 National High School Drill Team Championships.
I have always dreamt of competing at the Nationals High School Drill Team Championships. I honestly never thought I would ever get the opportunity to step Ocean Center and actually compete. Thinking I would never physically compete at Nationals, I thought I could compete there mentally.

I never stopped practicing, training, and improving. I told myself that as long as I get as good as the kids who compete at the Nationals, I would be happy. Where I was from, no one knew about the Nationals, nor did they call themselves “drillers.” I became acquainted with Oscar Arroyo and Bryan Smith who were the first and only two competitors at the Nationals I knew of that came out of California. They’re appearance and placing at the Nationals was a major motivation for me to get myself out there as well. They saw my videos on YouTube and talked me into going to Nationals.

At the midst of my senior year in high school, I started my journey to the Nationals. I performed for public events, VFW, and American Legion. I also did car washes, fundraisers, putting out flyers, sending out donation-request letters, and making a donation site online to raise money for my trip. With the support of my family, friends, and JROTC instructors, I was able to raise enough to fund my trip.

I met many drillers that I’ve seen on YouTube, made new friends, and placed 10th in the nation. The Nationals was a dream come true and the best experience in my whole life.

 

What has been your most memorable drill-related moment thus far?
My most memorable drill-related moment thus far is competing at the 2013 Nationals Drill Team High School Drill Team Championships and performing on live television after my interview about representing California at the Nationals.

 

What keeps you motivated to drill?
What keeps me motivated to drill is the opportunity to teach it to others and share the same art as many of the greatest people I’ve met through drill. Also, I really want to give out to others and offer them guidance that I did not receive in order to become a better driller.

 

What do you love most about drill?
I love how you can easily connect with others and make friends nationwide simply because you all share the same passion for drill.

 

What is your favorite move, trick, or sequence right now?
My favorite trick is the right shoulder double flyin’ Hawaiian kneeling catch.

 

What advice do you have for today’s drill team members?
Be YOU. There is no one more you than YOU. Don’t be afraid to be different. NEVER wait for anyone in order to practice. Anyone despite gender can become a great driller, but not everyone. When others doubt you, prove them wrong and prove yourself wrong.

Watch as many drill videos as you can, study them, learn from them, and apply that knowledge to your drill. Whenever you have the opportunity to perform, take it! If you don’t have the opportunity to perform, make it! The more experience you get, the better you will become. Your experience on the drill team is going to be how you make it. How would you want to be remembered? Challenge yourself, and dare to be GREAT. Anything is possible.

 

Many thanks to Mr. Fong Thao for sharing his story with us!

The “drill world” is a place populated with wonderful individuals from all walks of life. Drill-Team Dynamics Inc. will spend the next several weeks introducing you to some of these amazing people, all of whom have unique insight and experience to share with others. There is a lesson to be learned from each of these drillers and we hope that you find their words both motivating and useful as you seek to improve yourself or your team!

 

Ms. Andrea Bryant

“It’s a unique experience. And I want other drillers, especially the young ones, to see that the passion doesn’t have to end when you graduate.”

Our first featured driller is Ms. Andrea Bryant. Ms. Bryant hails from the West Coast and is a graduate of Norwich University, the birthplace of ROTC. As a cadet, Bryant competed on the Shock Platoon, the widely recognized and multi-championship winning precision drill team at her college. Upon graduation, Bryant continued her involvement not only as a competitor but also as an entrepreneur. Her clothing company, For The Art Clothing, exploded onto the drill scene and has been hugely successful in catering to our activity. She is also a huge advocate for personal fitness and produces some amazing resources on health and physical well-being. She is an inspiration to thousands both on and off the drill floor!

 

What are some of your accomplishments/achievements to date?
Creating For the Art Clothing. A driller/serviceman told me a story just a few weeks ago. He said that he had arrived in a state that he had never been in, knew no one and had no one to talk to. Then one day, he spotted a guy wearing a shirt with crossed rifles on it. It was an FTA shirt. And he found someone to commune with. Had the guy not been wearing that shirt, he never would’ve known there was another driller on base. That’s what FTA is about. It’s a call to arms to represent the art and share the passion with others.

 

What else?
Gaining respect as a female driller is also something I’m proud of. More importantly, working to have the chops to go toe-to-toe with the guys and just be an equal. Being able to shatter stigmas by something as simple as popping off a quad.

The dual with Jay [Caalim] at ISIS 2012 was also something I’m proud of. I think it added a little magic to the competition that year.

 

How long have you been drilling and how did you first get involved?
I’ve been drilling for 14 years. I got into it when my mother bribed me with $100 to go to the local JROTC summer camp before my freshman year. Some current members of the drill team did a demonstration and I got hooked. I traded basketball for it. Twist of fate, I guess. Could’ve been in the WNBA right now. Haha!

 

What motivates you to keep drilling?
I continue to drill because I remember what drill did for me when I was younger. It gave me a voice that I don’t think I could’ve gotten from a typical sport. It gave me an outlet to tell a story through snap and pageantry. It’s a unique experience. And I want other drillers, especially the young ones, to see that the passion doesn’t have to end when you graduate. There is a place for them to grow with the sport, compete, create and inspire.

 

When you were first learning, who were your inspirations?
I had been drilling for 4 years before I really came to my first inspirations. They were Blake Jackson (now CPT Jackson, USMC) and Matthew Angoy, USA. The first time I saw flow was watching Angoy drill and it took me by surprise. And with Blake, I had never seen intensity like his. The thing that inspired wasn’t just the moves. It was that they embodied these drill styles in their personalities. Angoy is very easy going, like flow. Whereas Blake is a sharp, but intense kind of guy. Like his drill. It was then that I started I realize that drill wasn’t just about moves. You can become a character, have a theme, make a voice. And that’s when it becomes really interesting.

 

Tell us about a moment in your drill career that was especially memorable.
An especially memorable moment in my drill career was probably the 2012 dual. At least, that’s where I’ve gotten most of my fame.

 

What is your favorite move, trick, or sequence and why?
My favorite move right now is probably the Death Throw (I think that’s the name). [Abraham Robbins of New Guard America] does it. I like it because it builds suspense. I like moves that communicate danger and difficulty for even the most naive audience. It’s drill’s first appeal.

 

What advice do you have for today’s drill team members?
The most important advice that I have for drillers and teams today is to not depend on anyone else (school, state, government, etc.) to fund your drill career. Units are closing left and right. We’re in a recession. Those with drive and resourcefulness are the ones who will survive. Create your own independent economy. Get out a raise funds. Host a car wash, perform for a VFW, start a booster club, sell something. Don’t miss out on a trip or competition because you’re waiting on a handout. Make it happen.

 

Many thanks to Ms. Bryant for sharing with us! Grab For The Art Clothing by clicking HERE!