The Blue Angels made their debut appearance at Yuma’s Air Show last weekend (March 14-15) after being grounded from anything outside of training activities due to budget constraints. To celebrate the return of the Angels, the Marine Corps’ Silent Drill Team posed for some amazing photos with the Blue Angels cutting in extremely close with a fly by.
Notice how the Marines are throwing rifles as the plane passes by overhead?
“The Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon is a 24-man rifle platoon that performs a unique precision drill exhibition. This highly disciplined platoon exemplifies the professionalism associated with the United States Marine Corps” according to their website.
It continues stating, “The Marines execute a series of calculated drill movements and precise handling of their hand-polished, 10-and-one-half pound, M1 Garand rifles with fixed bayonets. The routine concludes with a unique rifle inspection sequence demonstrating elaborate rifle spins and tosses.”
Check out this video which showcases behind-the-scenes footage from the photo shoot taken place a few weeks earlier on March 4th, with the “Fat Albert” Marine Corps’ C-130 Hercules.
The Blue Angels will be participating in a number of air shows this year, check the schedule to see if they’re coming to a show near you!
