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.

Please also read All About Presenting the Colors, https://thedrillmaster.org/2018/01/20/all-about-posting-or-presenting-colors/, Presenting the Colors at a Sporting Event, https://thedrillmaster.org/2021/11/16/suggested-sports-field-entrance-and-exit/, and Presenting the Colors in a Chapel, https://thedrillmaster.org/2023/08/15/presenting-the-colors-in-a-chapel/.

Definitions

The ceremony announcer states:

• “Present the Colors” – This means to have the color guard enter, center on and face the audience, and formally present the colors. The team then marches off when finished. This is known as a “Show-n-Go”.
• “Post the Colors” – There are two types
  1. To post the colors for an indoor ceremony, the color guard enters, formally presents, and then posts the colors in floor stands.
  2. To post the colors for a ceremony outdoors where the colors guard is at its post in the center of the battalion formation and during the ceremony, the colors are brought forward for the Star-Spangled banner, awards, etc.
• “Parade the Colors” – This is uniquely Navy. Some understand it to mean having the color guard cover as much ground as possible and weave in and out of tables while the guests are standing (yes, this actually happened). That’s not what it means. It’s the same thing as “Present the “Colors”.

The Difference of Meaning

There is a difference in the definition of “parading” between military and civilian contexts, although there’s significant overlap.

Civilian Definition:

• Public Procession:
  • The most common civilian understanding of a parade is a public procession, often festive, involving marching bands, floats, and participants celebrating an event or holiday.
  • It emphasizes public display and celebration.
• General Display:
  • “Parade” can also refer to any kind of conspicuous display or exhibition. For example, “a parade of fashion” or “parading one’s wealth.”
• Promenade:
  • It can also mean to walk in a public place for pleasure.

Military Definition:

• Formal Ceremony:
  • In the military, a parade is a formal ceremony involving the assembly and marching of troops, often for inspection, review, or display.
  • It emphasizes discipline, order, and tradition.
• Inspection and Review:
  • Military parades are frequently used for inspections by officers or dignitaries.
  • It is used to display the readiness of troops.
• Drill and Maneuvering:
  • Military parades involve precise drills and maneuvers, demonstrating the unit’s training and cohesion.

Key Differences:

• Formality: Military parades are generally much more formal and structured than civilian parades.
• Purpose: Military parades often serve a specific purpose, such as inspection or displaying military strength, while civilian parades are primarily for celebration or entertainment.
• Discipline: Military parades place a strong emphasis on discipline and precision, whereas civilian parades are typically more relaxed.

While both definitions involve a form of public display, the military definition is more focused on order, discipline, and ceremonial purpose. (References are m-w/com, dictionary.com, and military manuals.)

Expanding on the Military Meaning

We can get a really good idea behind the meaning of ‘parade” from military manuals.

All three Drill and Ceremonies Manuals

Quite possibly the biggest indication of what the term “Parade” means is found in the command “Parade Rest:. The “Parade” is the line of stationary troops, and the command directs the members of the formation to stand at a more restful position than Attention. The “parade” is not moving, thus “parade does not equal what many normally think of as a street parade.

Granted, the US military has parades and reviews (MCO 5060.20):

• Parade. A parade is a ceremony that involves the movement of marching units.
• Review. A review is a type of ceremony that omits certain elements found in a parade but includes an inspection (trooping the line) not found in a parade.

The image below shows an example of an Army or Air Force battalion parade formation (notice the multiple colors in the color guard). Whether the formation passes-in-review or not isn’t the point as we see below.

US Navy Regulations Chapter 12

• Paragraph 1233.
  • 2. In lieu Of parading The entire Crew at quarters, an honor guard may be paraded in a conspicuous place on weather decks.
• 1249. Side Honors.
  • 1. On the arrival and departure of civil officials and foreign officers, and of United States officers when so directed by the senior officer present, the side shall be piped and the appropriate number of side boys paraded.
• 1250. Dispensing With Side Boys and Guard and Band.
  • 1. Side Boys shall not be paraded on Sunday, or on other days between sunset and 0800, or during meal hours of the crew, [etc.]. Side boys shall be paraded only for scheduled visits.
  • 4. The side shall he piped when side boys are paraded, but not at other times.

NTP 13(B)

• 103 DEFINITIONS
  • g. Each landing party battalion is equipped with a national color and an organizational color. When participating independently in operations, ceremonies, or street parades ashore, each battalion will carry its own colors. (Emphasis mine.)
• 607. PASSING WASHINGTON’S TOMB
  • A special ceremony calling for half-masting the ensign is required of ships passing Washington’s Tomb between sunrise and sunset. A full band and guard are paraded (if aboard), the ship’s bell is tolled

As far as the US Navy is concerned “Parading” is the presence of a certain element. Parading side boys does not mean those Sailors marching around meaninglessly on deck, it means their presence for the ceremony. It does not necessarily mean movement of the element, just its presence.

Army Regulation 600-25

• Chapter 4
  • 4 – 3. Participation of foreign Soldiers in parades. b. On occasions when Soldiers of more than one foreign nation participate, the order of precedence will be decided by the grand marshal.

Here, with the designation of a “grand marshal” we can see that this parade is a street parade.

• The Army song concludes all reviews, parades, and honor guard ceremonies.

Here, we see that “Parade” means a military parade, a pass-in-review, since the Army song would not be appropriate at a street parade.

AFI 90-1201 (34-1201)

• 8.2.4. At a parade or pass and review, individual courtesies must be rendered when the U.S. flag is six paces before them and maintain the salute until the U.S. flag is six paces past them.

DoDI 5410.19, Vol 4

• Section 5: Ceremonial Support b. (2) In all other public programs or ceremonies, Service members in uniform and in an official capacity must not carry flags of foreign nations, veterans’ groups, or other non-military organizations.

As far as the US Army, Air Force, and even the Marine Corps are concerned “parading” and “parade” tends to focus on the movement of a formation. The concept aligns with the Army’s historical focus on land warfare and large-scale formations with the tradition brought from the Army into the USAF. The same concept applies to the Marine Corps.

In essence, the Army tends to emphasize the “marching” aspect of a parade, while the Navy (not necessarily the Department of the Navy) places a greater emphasis on the “display” aspect, often within the context of specific ceremonies.

“Parade the Colors!”

During a pass-in-review it means to have the colors march to the reviewing stand to render/receive honors. The Navy uses this term in indoor ceremonies to indicate the colors need to move from the staging area to front and centered on the audience. This usually (read: “should”) means to perform a show-n-go and not post the colors in the stands. If colors are to be posted in stands, the command/announcement should be “Post the colors.”

Civil Ceremonies

Your meeting is outside of military jurisdiction and that means military manuals do not apply unless you are specifically creating a color guard and want to follow military standards.

For a meeting in the civilian sector, Title 4, USC, the Flag Code, is your guidance. The Flag Code doesn’t discuss indoor parading of the flag because it’s not supposed to happen. The flag is to be at the front of the room, to the audience’s left, and in a predominant place.

For these meetings and ceremonies, leave the flag in place on the stage or near the podium, have everyone rise, face the stationary flag (or face the front if a color guard presents), recite the Pledge, or play/sing the anthem, and have everyone take their seats.

For more on announcements, please read the article About Posting or Presenting Colors at https://thedrillmaster.org/2018/01/20/all-about-posting-or-presenting-colors/.

Facing the Flag

Turning to face the colors probably comes from the Boy Scouts. Long ago, the direction was developed to help younger scouts with short attention spans to stay focused. It has really confused the rest of the country ever since.

Below, the Air Force Instruction states policy for a stationary flag, not a color guard moving to present the colors. This means the audience should face the front of the room and not adjust position to constantly face the flag as it travels from point to point.

Note, the following policies apply across the US military (see also TC 3-21.5 and MCO 5060.20).

• AFI 90-1201
  • 2.14. Hoisting and Lowering the United States Flag. During the ceremony of hoisting or lowering the flag, all persons present, except those in formation, should face the flag and stand at attention. (Emphasis mine.)
  • 8.1.8.2. Flags on stationary flagstaffs are only saluted during Reveille, Retreat, special ceremonies, or when the flag is being raised or lowered. In these cases, when outside and in uniform, face the flag (if visible) or face the direction the music is played…
  • 8.1.8.4. When indoors and in uniform, face the flag (or the music if the flag is not visible) and stand at attention when the national anthem (of any country) or “To The Color” is played (do not place your hand over your heart). There are two exceptions. If in uniform, under arms, salute. (T-1). Spectators in uniform at a military ceremony inside, where ‘outdoor’ rules apply, (i.e., a change of command ceremony planned for outdoors but moved inside a hanger due to inclement weather) will salute. (T-1). When indoors and in civilian clothes, face the flag (or the music if the flag is not visible), stand at attention when the national anthem or “To The Color” is played and place the right hand over the heart. When indoors and in civilian clothes do not place the right hand over the heart for national anthems of countries other than the United States.

The POW and Parading

There has been confusion as far as what “parade” means in the context of carrying the POW/MIA flag. Please be aware, the League of Families, a private organization, owns this color and flag.

AFI 34-1201

• The POW/MIA flag is not carried or displayed in parades or reviews but may be carried at official military funerals.
• It’s the same as the text for the Medal of Honor flag: “2.20.6. The MOH flag is not carried or displayed in parades or reviews but may be carried at official military funerals.”

Written with input from DeVaughn Simper, vexillologist.