The Merchant Marine Academy Battle Standard

Display Artifact or Ceremonial Color?

Color guards are carefully structured ceremonial formations. Every flag within the formation represents a specific authority: the nation, the foreign nation, the state or territory, a military service, or the organization hosting the ceremony. Because of this, the inclusion of any additional flag in a color guard requires careful consideration of its purpose, authority, and doctrinal status.

A question occasionally arises regarding the battle standard of the United States Merchant Marine Academy. This maroon flag commemorates the extraordinary service and sacrifice of American merchant mariners during World War II.

While the battle standard is an important historical symbol, its presence in a marching color guard raises a doctrinal question:

Is the battle standard authorized to be carried as part of a color guard formation?

Based on established ceremonial doctrine, the answer appears to be no.

The image at the top of the page: Merchant Marine Academy cadet color guard with Battle Banner.

Critique (based on MCO 5060.20 and NTP 13(B)):

• Not at Close Interval
• Wrong staffs (must light ash wood guidon staffs)
• Wrong finials (must be the battle-axe)
• With the use of this type of colors harness (a baldric), the left hand should not be incorporated in holding the staff.
  • The baldrics look like they might be adjustable since the cups at the bottom of the material are at the same level.

What a Color Guard Represents

Across the United States military services, color guards follow a consistent structure. While manuals differ slightly in terminology, the framework is essentially the same.

A typical color guard may include:

1. The United States flag
2. A state flag, when appropriate
3. A service flag representing the military branch
4. An organizational color (academy, regiment, or institution)

Each of these flags represents a recognized authority or institutional identity.

Color guards are therefore designed to display authority, not simply history or symbolism.

Where the Battle Standard Fits

The Merchant Marine Academy battle standard commemorates the wartime contributions of the United States Merchant Marine. During World War II, merchant mariners delivered troops and supplies across dangerous sea lanes while facing frequent attack from enemy submarines and aircraft.

The casualty rate among merchant mariners (they are not called “merchant marines”) was among the highest of any American service during the war.

The academy maintains the battle standard as a symbol honoring those sacrifices.

However, that purpose places the flag within the category of a heritage memorial symbol, not a ceremonial color representing an active command authority.

What Doctrine Says

Modern drill and ceremonial doctrine defines what flags are authorized within a color guard formation. Primary references include:

• Army drill guidance
• Marine Corps ceremonial manuals
• Air Force drill publications
• Navy ceremonial protocols

These sources consistently authorize color guards to carry:

• the national color
• service colors
• organizational colors
• foreign national, state, and territory flags, when appropriate

None of these references authorize battle standards as independent flags within a marching color guard.

Historically, battle honors are incorporated into unit colors themselves, usually through campaign streamers, rather than carried as separate flags.

Tradition vs. Doctrine

It is possible for institutions to develop ceremonial traditions that differ slightly from standard military practice. Military academies in particular sometimes maintain historical customs tied to their heritage.

If the Merchant Marine Academy has internal guidance authorizing the battle standard to be carried in a color guard, such use would represent an institutional tradition rather than a practice derived from standard drill doctrine.

This distinction matters because many organizations—especially cadet programs and honor guards—look to established ceremonial doctrine when designing their formations.

The Better Role for a Battle Standard

None of this diminishes the importance of the battle standard. In fact, treating the flag as a displayed memorial standard often allows its meaning to be communicated more clearly.

Appropriate uses include:

• placement in a reviewing area
• display during memorial ceremonies
• presentation during commemorative events
• heritage displays within the academy

In these settings, the symbolism of the flag can be explained and honored without altering the structure of a color guard.

Why This Matters

Ceremonial formations communicate meaning through structure and precedence. When flags that represent heritage are inserted into formations designed to represent authority, the symbolism can become unclear.

Maintaining clear distinctions between:

• colors representing authority
• flags representing historical remembrance

helps preserve the integrity of ceremonial practice.

The Merchant Marine Academy battle standard remains an important historical symbol honoring the sacrifices of American merchant mariners. Within the framework of modern ceremonial doctrine, however, it is most appropriately treated as a heritage memorial flag rather than an authorized marching color.

Further Reading:
The full doctrinal analysis appears in ICS DCS 40-101 — The Merchant Marine Academy Battle Standard: Doctrinal Status and Ceremonial Authorization.