There is a persistent and damaging belief in the drill and ceremonies community:
“If it’s not in our manual, it’s not authorized.”
That belief is wrong—and it is directly responsible for the kind of performance deficiencies we continue to see across military, cadet, and first responder color guards.
Recently, I reviewed an example that illustrates the issue clearly: Soldiers carrying the Colors in front of the body, without harnesses, using an improvised method that has no doctrinal foundation. The problem wasn’t intent—it was limitation. They were trying to solve a movement problem with incomplete guidance.
And instead of seeking the correct answer, they defaulted to improvisation.
The Real Problem Isn’t Execution—It’s Perspective
Each branch of the U.S. military publishes its own drill and ceremonies manual:
- Army — TC 3-21.5
- Marine Corps (Navy and Coast Guard) — MCO 5060.20
- Air Force / Space Force — AFPAM 34-1203
These publications are authoritative, but they are not exhaustive.
They do not cover:
- Every environment
- Every transition
- Every equipment condition
- Every real-world scenario
So when personnel are trained to only reference their service manual, they are being trained into a limitation (obviously, this does not apply in every situation, it does apply to D&C).
What Happens When Doctrine Is Treated as a Closed System
When someone encounters a situation not covered in their manual, one of two things happens:
- They stop and seek broader doctrinal guidance
- They improvise
Too often, we see the second.
That’s how you get:
- Front-carry flagstaffs with no control structure
- Inconsistent grips and positioning
- Loss of alignment and bearing
- Teams that look disciplined—but are not operating from doctrine
The Solution Already Exists
The irony is that the correct answer is often already written—just not in the manual they’re holding.
For example:
- Army TC 3-21.5 does not adequately address controlled movement of the Colors carried out of a colors harness
- Marine Corps MCO 5060.20 defines Trail Colors, a structured, controlled movement position designed for exactly that purpose
Same mission. Different manual. Complete solution.
This Is Not “Mixing Standards”—It’s Completing Them
All U.S. military drill and ceremonies manuals share:
- A common historical foundation
- Compatible movement mechanics
- A unified objective: disciplined, respectful execution
No single manual owns correctness.
Each contributes to it.
Professional Standard
When your manual does not provide the answer:
You are not restricted—you are responsible.
Responsible to:
- Find the correct method
- Apply an existing, authorized technique
- Maintain control, bearing, and uniformity
Introducing the Formal Clarification
To address this issue directly, I’ve published:
ICS DCS 45-100 — Doctrine Clarification Statement
Cross-Service Application of Drill and Ceremonies Standards
This document formally establishes:
- When and how to apply techniques from other service manuals
- The conditions that must be met to do so properly
- What is—and is not—acceptable when filling doctrinal gaps
Download the Doctrine Clarification
The full publication is available here:
👉 Download ICS DCS 45-100
(ceremonialstandards.org)
Final Thought
The manual is not a cage.
If you treat it that way, you will either:
- Fail to execute the mission properly
- Or invent something that shouldn’t exist
Neither is acceptable.
The standard already exists.
You just have to be willing to look beyond your own book.