Benefits of Military Cadences

There is nothing better than a great military cadence! It's a great feeling coming back from a long march, or morning run when a fellow soldier yells out a good cadence. It gives me energy, motivates, and increases unit espre de corps.

On top of the physiological effects that cadences produce, they also produce significant physical effects. Singing a cadence while running or marching helps soldiers keep their heads up, take deeper breathes and exhale more forcefully. This increases oxygen to the lungs and gives the body more energy. This in turn makes your unit more healthy and better prepared for the Army Physical Fitness Test.

The best part of a cadence is they can be modified to any command, any situation and any personality. Marching through base it's pretty easy to take that PG-13 cadence, and change a few words into a G-rated cadence. Likewise when you're on that march in the country side, you can open it up and make your cadences a bit more racy.

Below is a list of what makes cadences great:

Humor: Anyone who can add a joke into a cadence is a locked in winner. Try and think of the last dumb or funny thing one of your soldiers did and try and incorporate it into a cadence.
Specific to the unit: Nothing sounds funnier than having an Air Force Unit singing the "Airborne Ranger" Cadence. If you are an Air Force unit, take an Army Cadence and modify it to what you do.
Ability to Sing: Nothing ruins a good cadence than a fellow soldier who just cant sing. If there is a soldier in your unit who just cant get sing it's best to replace them. If the soldier wants to get better then practice one-on-one away from your unit.