Battalion run

The battalion run is a military tradition of gathering a battalion together in formation by companies, wearing physical training (PT) uniforms and having them run a certain distance (usually 4 miles at a 9 minute pace) together.

Purpose

There are several reasons, both legitimate and dubious for having a battalion run. These include:

* Allowing the battalion commander to assess his troops' physical fitness
* Building unit "esprit de corps"
* Physical and mental conditioning
* Instructing junior enlisted in calling cadence
* Degrading or singling out certain troops because of their failure to stay in formation
* Having one-up on another unit by having no fall-outs

Battalion runs are performed for various reasons and may be ran at various intervals; however, events such as the marking of a Service's anniversary, holidays, or simply to maintain comradarie/adhesion within the unit tops some of the main reasons for these formation.

Military Traditions

Several military traditions are associated with the battalion run:

* Carrying the guidon. The guidon bearer runs with the guidon next to the commander while others antagonize him and call him too weak to continue. Sometimes the bearer relinquishes the guidon of his own free will and other times the commander asks him to give it to a fresh man. Other NCOs goad and shame their troops into accepting the guidon as a point of pride, and displays of masculinity are made by running in a circuit around the company formation and sometimes the whole battalion. In the end, the assigned guidon bearer takes his rightful place for the remainder of the run.

* Retaining the guidon. Hand in hand with carrying the guidon, the person holding it is to retain it as long as possible. If he must, he will give it to someone in his own squad or platoon, before giving it up to another in his unit. Some make a point of only having enlisted carry the guidon, although officers will be allowed to carry it, but only for a short time as they make a circuit around the company. Under no circumstances is the bearer to relinquish the guidon to someone outside of the unit, lest they suffer dire consequences. The battalion Sergeant Major makes it a point of trying to trick new members into giving it to him. Punishment for making this mistake is usually to make multiple circuits around the battalion and after each circuit complete push-ups with the guidon resting on your back.

* Cadence. Traditionally, NCOs are the people who call cadence, but during a battalion run they will allow lower enlisted to practice. They do this to allow the newer troops to gain experience, so that when they become NCOs themselves they will feel comfortable performing this task.

* Fall-outs. Each company in the battalion takes pride in its members' physical fitness, but some aren't as fit as others. Inevitably there will always be someone who lags behind. NCOs and officers, as well as other unit members, try to encourage these troops to get back into formation. If encouragement doesn't work the troop is antagonized for their failure to maintain physical conditioning or ruining the unit's chances at a reward. A person is considered a fall out if they still lag behind their company at the end of the run. Battalion commanders sometimes reward companies who have no fall-outs with a guidon streamer and a half day of liberty. If the whole battalion should arrive as a unit with no fall-outs the commander usually sets aside a day for the entire battalion to have off. Alternately, battalion commanders have been known to turn the entire formation around and circle back to "pick up" stragglers, emphasizing a "no man left behind" policy.