In drill terminology, what is a file?

• A. A line with two elements abreast
• B. A single file of riders
• C. A column with two fronts
• D. A column, which has a front of only one element

Answer: (D)

A file is a single-column formation where troops are lined up one behind another, so the front of the column has only one element. This means the width at the front is one, even though the depth can be many, as people march in a line behind the leading element. The other descriptions describe different formations: a line is two or more elements abreast, not a single file; a column with two fronts would be wider than one and not a single-file column; and phrasing about riders isn’t the standard drill terminology for this concept. So the correct description is a column with a front of only one element.