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[ral]

After trying various things like creating squads of 3 with orders to train 2 at a time and assigning them all to different training areas, I would still never see ANY sparring.

Now, after setting up some alert orders to tell my archers to keep 4 guys on the fortress walls all the time, rotating squads, (just the archers, not the axedwarves) I am seeing sparring among the axedwarves.

Actually I think I may have messed up the training orders before making some changes and now the training orders for the axe guys are active, but they were doing individual combat drills even before I made changes and (think I) fixed the training orders.

Will dwarves actually do individual combat drills even if they have no orders to do so?

[Dutchling]

I think that's kind of the point of individual training, they do it if they have no orders but also no civilian duties

[Fredd]

 When a dwarf has "no scheduled orders" for a certain month, their priority is to individually train. If they are Active, will invid train more, job is less of a priority than if under the Inactive schedule , where the job is the priority.

 Under either active, or inactive, if you assign a month to train, they will give demonstrations, watch demonstrations, or spar. Sparring usually occurs if they are close to the same skill levels, not just small squads. You really want a dwarf with good skills in each squad, to give demonstrations. It really helps.

 To start your basic military base, embark with a dwarf with novice in shield, armor use,wrestling, and dodging. This will be the militia commander. Then designate a barracks, and assign all non miners, woodcutter, hunters, and the doctors to it. Under the inactive schedule, assign them to train 4 times a year, in months that you expect no caravans. As soon as you can, produce/trade for shields and some type of true armor, to equip them with, if only 1 piece.(If they are at least wearing 1 piece of armor, they will get the benefit of armor use.) Use the militia commander to train this squad in the basics. When non essential dwarves become decently trained, when a migrant arrives with weapon skills, assign them to his/her squad, and equip with cheap weapons.
During training months, they can refresh their military skills.
 As soon as new migrants arrive,rotate them into the militia squad, making a new squad for the older members. Assign the oldy militia squad to train once a year, and if you are paranoid, assign them a new uniform with better(Multiple pieces of) armor, and weapons. This makes for a good emergency fighting force.
 If you are in a biome with not so dangerous wildlife, give potential archers the hunting labor. Will give them experience, plus food on the table. When not needed anymore, assign them to a squad with a militia trainee. They will target practice, and while in a training month, the trainee will teach them dodging, armor use, shield use.
 Your use of patrols is a splendid one. It will mess up ambushes, plus give them something to do.

[ral]

Thanks for the tips. Right now I'm using "Defend burrows" on a burrow defined as the edge of the wall but maybe I should set up waypoints for them to move along so they'll walk around the walls.

They already came in handy during an ambush when they messed up some goblins, though unfortunately the caravan got chased off the map. But fortunately it was just a mostly useless elf caravan.

[Girlinhat]

Wall patrols are super-great.  It makes sure all your archers move within range of the enemy as they go along their route.