Across the country, color guards strive for precision in movement, timing, and appearance. Yet one of the most common failures occurs before the first command is ever given:
The equipment is wrong.
Honor Guards of Antiquity 2: Leadership of the Persian Melophori and the Dual Mandate of the Chiliarch
It’s important to clarify the distinction of the Melophori (Mēlophoroi), or Apple Bearers, from the larger body of the Persian “Immortals” as historical sources have revealed.
Honor Guards of Antiquity 1: Elite Units and the Rulers They Protected
In the grand narratives of ancient history, figures like Roman Emperors, Persian Kings, and Macedonian conquerors stand at the apex of power. Yet, their authority—and often their very lives—rested in the hands of their most trusted and feared subordinates: the elite bodyguards. Far more than mere soldiers, units such as the Roman Praetorian Guard, the Persian Apple Bearers, and the …
Why Drill and Ceremonies Remain Essential: Lessons from the Greeks, Romans, and Earlier Civilizations
Military drill and ceremonies are often dismissed today as outdated, overly formal, or “just tradition.” Yet long before drill manuals, long before modern armies, the greatest civilizations of the ancient world understood something profound: disciplined movement shapes disciplined minds. The way a person stands, walks, trains, and carries himself is inseparable from their character. The ancients believed this so deeply …
Why the Navy and Coast Guard Use the Marine Corps Order for Drill and Ceremonies
Let’s dive into the history of drill and ceremonies manuals and see the progression of drill and ceremonies for the US Marine Corps (USMC), US Navy (USN), and US Coast Guard (USCG).
The Need for a Unit Drill Master
A Drill Master (DM) is not just an expert in drill and ceremonies (D&C)—he is the guardian of precision, discipline, and military tradition.
Missing the Value of Drill and Ceremonies
“Houston, We Have a Drill Problem…” Regulation and Ceremonial Drill Standards What we call regulation drill comes from: We also have ceremonial drill that is kept mostly in internal documents for the Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment, the Old Guard; the Barracks Order for Marine Barracks Washington, the internal manuals for the Navy’s Ceremonial Guard and Coast Guard’s Ceremonial Honor Guard, …
Historic USMC Commands and Marching
In this clip from the 1962 TV show “I’ve Got a Secret”, Jonathan Winters marches a small platoon of Marines around the stage before the game show commences.
A History of Drill and Training Rifles (Links)
Here are the links to the 26 parts of this very detailed paper written by Malcolm MacPherson. I split his paper into 26 articles in 2012. The information is very interesting and you can see that we still use some versions. Mr. MacPherson’s paper goes over US, British, and Japanese training rifles. Part 1, Non-Firing Drill and Training Rifles Part …
Color Guard Flag Protocol
There is so much information to learn when it comes to flag protocol. A flag is called a color when posted in a stand and carried by a color guard.