The reasons for the lack of martial spirit of United States soldiers when they parade

The 250th anniversary parade of the United States Army has generated many comments, some of them very negative.

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Among the most criticized aspects of the parade was the lack of martial artistry of the American soldiers while marching. In some units, it seemed as if they were taking a stroll instead of marching. From the United Kingdom, BFBS Forces News has published a video contrasting this lack of martial artistry with the rigorous way in which the British soldiers marched:

The way the US Army soldiers march has surprised many. After all, the United States is the world's leading military power, and a parade is a way to showcase that power, so it's always advisable to take care of details such as precision and coordination when marching.

In the United States, military parades are not common

There are several reasons that may explain this lack of martial spirit. The first is that, while military parades are very common in Europe, despite being a great military power, military parades are not common in the United States outside the barracks. It is normal there to hold parades when there is a military victory to celebrate, and every July 4th it is customary to hold a parade to commemorate Independence Day, but it is a civic-military event, which is conducive to more relaxed discipline. In fact, that parade in Washington has received criticism from people of different ideologies. Some of these critics equated such a parade with what happens in North Korea, an opinion steeped in ignorance, but one that perfectly captures that country's mentality regarding these events.

The weight of military tradition in Europe

Another reason for the lack of martial spirit is that the United States doesn't have military traditions as long-standing as those of European countries. As BFBS Forces News points out, today's military parades have their origins in military formations that were formed in battle thousands of years ago. Greek phalanxes and Roman legions required great coordination of movements on the battlefield, and achieving this required great discipline.

Much more recently, the line infantry that emerged in the 18th century created a military culture that is still deeply rooted in Europe. This infantry moved in lines on the battlefield, which had to be well coordinated. Battles were surrounded by a ritual that is preserved today in military parades. Non-European countries, such as China and North Korea, have adopted these traditions, taking them to the extreme rigor typical of totalitarian regimes like theirs.

The sense of discipline in a professional army

Another important reason for this lack of martial spirit is that The United States has a professional army, and its soldiers only receives drill instruction during training. There may be soldiers who, since their initial training, have never participated in a parade. This is evident in American units deployed in Europe: they also march in a less martial manner when participating in military events on the Old Continent.

For the US Army, practical combat training is more important than the rigor of marching. Personally, I believe that in the US, they overlook the importance of close-order drill for discipline. In fact, many of the military traditions that exist in all armies, including the US, are based on maintaining discipline in a strongly hierarchical organization. Obedience and the necessary respect for authority and rules are one of the foundations of an army's success.

A quote attributed to George Washington states: "Discipline is the soul of an army." Close-order drill does much to build that discipline, but it doesn't guarantee it. In fact, the Russian army is very rigorous on parade and a disaster on the battlefield, as is being demonstrated in Ukraine.

Marching without weapons and with rock music

Finally, there is a fourth reason that may seem irrelevant: the United States Army marches without shouldering rifles. In the June 14 parade in Washington, DC, the units that were armed were those in which the soldiers wore historical uniforms from past wars. A formation of unarmed soldiers always gives a less martial appearance than one that does. In the first case, this absence of weapons reinforces the image of soldiers parading.

On the other hand, we could add a fifth reason: music. Both in Europe and the United States, there is a large repertoire of military music, ideal for accompanying soldiers in parades. However, at the June 14th parade in Washington, the soundtrack was rock music, even though some military units had their own marching bands (it was impossible to hear what they were playing because of the thunderous sound of the electric guitars). I love rock and heavy metal music, but they are not suitable for marching.

Of course, there are exceptions. In the United States, there are ceremonial units that have a high level of rigor when it comes to parading, such as the 3rd Infantry Regiment "The Old Guard," which is the oldest unit in the US Army, in charge of guarding the Arlington National Cemetery. It also happens that this unit always marches with weapons, whether they be the old M1 Garand semi-automatic rifles (the ones we see in this photo) or old muskets from the Revolutionary War.

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Photos: U.S. Army.