Not long ago, I received a comment attempting to justify a photograph of a folded flag partially unfolded and draped over an urn.
The Dignity of Dissent: When Logistics Overshadow Respect for Fallen Heroes
In the somber process of bringing home our fallen service members, every detail matters. The sight of a flag-draped casket signifies the highest honor a nation can bestow. However, a modern logistical trend is starting to violate the very protocols meant to protect that dignity: the practice of draping the interment flag over the shipping container holding the casket, rather …
Who Does Your Color Guard Represent?
This subject is one of the most common sources of confusion in Color Guard training, especially in scholastic and cadet programs. The root problem is that people treat flags as decoration, local pride, or a “nice touch,” when in reality every color carried in formation is a public statement of authority and representation.
Flag Protocol and Fallen Heroes—Why Compliance Is Non-Negotiable
In the somber process of bringing home our fallen servicemembers, every detail matters. The sight of a flag-draped casket signifies part of the highest honors a nation can bestow. However, a modern logistical trend is starting to undermine that dignity: the practice of draping the interment flag over the shipping container holding the casket, rather than the casket itself.
The Mission and Mistake of the DoDPAA
The Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency does a meticulous job reflected in their mission statement: “Provide the fullest possible accounting for our missing personnel to their families and the nation.” An extraordinary mission. The Missions The Recovery Mission – Long before a team is selected to roam a foreign countryside and climb rocky terrain, government-to-government talks take place, locations …
Parading vs Presenting or Posting the Colors
There seems to be confusion on the announcements or commands to present and post the colors. Let’s iron that out.
Color Guards Overseas and the Foreign National Color
This information affects all bases overseas for all services. A Little History For decades the conventional wisdom has been that when we are overseas, we are told that when we are on US soil (the base, an American cemetery, etc.), the US is on the right and as soon as you step onto foreign soil (outside the gate), you have …
The Flagstaff and Guidon Staff Manuals DrillMaster Study
Both the flagstaff manual and the guidon staff manual are linked. In this study we will discover the similarities and where both manuals separate due to the flag attached to the staff. The guidon staff is the flagstaff and vice versa. The differences come in length and the type of flag attached. This is key to understanding the difference, the …
DoD-Mandated Disrespect to American Flag
For years the Pentagon has paid Big Sportsball to have troops carry a giant flag on a football field as a recruiting tool even though it directly breaks the law, and the standard set forth in an Army Regulation.
Half-Staff and the Special Occasion
There are certain circumstances where the flag, while being displayed officially for a period of mourning, is raised to full truck for a special occasion, and then lowered back to half-staff for the rest of the time of mourning. Let’s look at the history behind that.