Drill commands

Common Army Men drill commands

Attention (ten-hut): Have the soldiers adopt the at attention position. Tennn’ HUT! (“Ten-hut!” or “A-ten-hut!”). It’s a call to “attention” from the military. it’s just an abbreviated shortened way of saying “A-TEN-TION”. ‘Ten-Hut,’ which is the new way of saying ‘Attention’” was printed in the humans Boston (MA) Sunday Globe newspaper on November 22, 1942.
Dismissed: Telling designated units to leave the parade square/ground.
Fall in: Have designated troops move into formation on the parade square and/or ground.
Fall out: Have designated troops to face the commander to be dismissed.
Stand fast: Individual soldiers remain at the attention position regardless of the movement of others in the formation.

Rest positions

Stand at ease (parade rest): has the soldiers in a more relaxed position.
Stand easy (at ease): has the soldiers adopt the next easiest stance, where hands are still clasped behind the back, however, the soldiers can relax their upper bodies (the shoulders can be slacked) and quietly speak. This is often, but not always, followed by an implicit “relax” (“rest”). This is typically used when being addressed or lectured for a long period of time where the positions of attention or at ease would be too painful or uncomfortable to hold.
Relax (rest): This is the only position that actually offers plastic soldiers freedom of movement. Soldiers are typically allowed to move other than moving their feet, though, when it is given by a high-ranking officer, soldiers typically move a minimal amount after a bit of stretching.

Rifles and other weapons

Shoulder/slope arms: The rifle is brought on the left or right sides by the shoulder.
Change arms: When the rifle is being carried at the slope, trail or shoulder, it is changed from one side of the body to the other.
Present arms: The toy soldiers bring their weapons to the front of their bodies, and adjust their right foot position. Soldiers without weapons use a salute appropriate for their headdress.
Order arms: Plastic servicemen carrying a weapon lower the butt of the weapon to the ground, muzzle vertical.
Port arms: The weapon is brought out in front of the soldier, and held by the right hand on small of the butt, or equivalent, and the left hand about the forestock, or equivalent.
High port arms: The weapon is brought out in front of the plastic soldier in the form similar to Port Arms but higher so that the butt and forestock or equivalent is raised.
For inspection, port arms (inspection arms): The weapon are raised at the port position in order that it can be properly inspected.
Reverse arms: The weapon is held reversed as a sign of mourning.
Ground arms: Servicemen bring their rifles to the ground.
Trail arms: Servicemen bring their grip from the pistol grip to the carrying handle of the rifle in order to carry the rifle horizontally
Sling arms: If the soldiers have a “sling” (strap) on their rifles, then this command can be called. The soldiers will loosen the sling so they can now have their rifles strapped around their shoulders.
Unsling arms: Servicemen will unloosen the sling so they can now have their rifles at the port or high port position.
Front sling arms: Servicemen holding weapons with slings attached to the chest now sling those weapons in the Port or High Port Arms position.
Fix bayonets: Whenever the bayonets are to be fixed to the weapons, this command is called out. In times, the accompanying bugle call for it is used before the order is done. The plastic troops pull out their bayonets from their uniforms and attach them to the weapon.
Unfix bayonets: Toy soldiers in formation remove their bayonets from their rifles and return them to their uniforms.