Drill and Map Reading
What this domain tests
Drill and Map Reading tests words of command, squad movement, salute and the reading of scale, grid references and contours. The map-reading part is usually a calculation or a direction question.
Core rules
- A cautionary command warns of an action, e.g. 'Squad will move to the right'; the executive command orders it, e.g. 'Right turn'. The executive word is spoken sharply.
- Drill teaches discipline, coordination and alertness; a squad moves on the executive command, not the cautionary one.
- Scale compares map distance to ground distance. On 1:50,000, 1 cm on the map equals 50,000 cm, or 500 m, on the ground.
- Grid references are read eastings first, then northings - 'along the corridor, then up the stairs'. A four-figure reference gives a grid square; a six-figure reference gives a more precise point.
- Contours join points of equal height. Closely spaced contours mean steep ground; widely spaced contours mean gentle ground.
- Magnetic declination is the angle between true north and magnetic north; it must be applied when converting bearings.
Worked example
On a 1:50,000 map, two points are 4 cm apart. What is the ground distance? Reasoning: 1 cm represents 50,000 cm, so 4 cm represents 200,000 cm. Convert to metres by dividing by 100: 2,000 m, or 2 km. The answer is 2 km.
Traps
Do not read northings before eastings. Do not confuse map distance with ground distance. Do not treat close contours as flat ground. Do not ignore magnetic declination when converting a compass bearing to a map bearing.