Military cadences are sung by soldiers as they move on foot in formation. They have a call and response structure, meaning that one soldier sings a line and other soldiers sing it back.
History
U.S. soldiers have been singing cadence calls since World War II. When a formation of troops was returning to the barracks, one of the soldiers, Private Willie Duckworth, issued the first sound-off to help his fellow soldiers fight their fatigue and lift their spirits. Private Duckworth's sound-off was the inspiration for cadence calls to follow.
Purpose
Because of their rhythmic nature, cadence calls help soldiers keep a uniform pace while moving, whether marching or running. The cadence caller sets the pace. He starts and ends each line of the call on his left foot, and the other soldiers follow suit. By keeping time with one another, soldiers increase their sense of team spirit and unit cohesion.
Varieties
Some cadence calls focus on the challenges of life in the military. Others express soldiers' yearning for past days as civilians. Many cadence calls, however, express soldiers' pride in their service and in the skills they bring to bear in their jobs. Cadence calls change over the years to reflect the adversary the U.S. military is facing at the time.
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