When a Texas municipality asks which flag belongs beneath the American flag, the answer must begin with the governing authority, not organizational preference. The DrillMaster | October 22, 2026 A Texas firefighter recently contacted me with a flag-display question. His city had purchased POW/MIA flags for its facilities, but the fire station had only one flagpole. The United States and …
The Department of the Air Force has released DAFMAN 34-165, Honor Guards, establishing ceremonial guidance and standards for the United States Air Force Honor Guard and Department of the Air Force Base Honor Guard (BHG) programs.
A powerful setting can strengthen a military ceremony.
A good command voice is controlled, clear, disciplined, and properly timed.
Marching is often taught as a series of positions: attention, step off, halt, face, flank, and so on. That is necessary, of course, because drill manuals describe movement in counts and commands. But beneath every command is something more basic: the human gait cycle. The gait cycle is one complete stride. It begins when one heel contacts the the marching …
One of the most common objections I receive when I state that the light ash guidon staff is the proper flagstaff for a US military color guard is some variation of this: “Where does the regulation say the staff has to be that color?” I appreciate it, but that question approaches the subject backward.
The Tomb Sentinel walk is one of the most precise and recognizable ceremonial movements in the United States military. Its smooth, controlled glide is essential to the dignity of the vigil.
The way that glide is produced, however, deserves examination.
A video shows a wreath-laying ceremony or announces that a member of a service has died. Photographs and video snippets appear in sequence and Taps plays as the soundtrack. The intention is respectful. But the death of a service member or the laying of a wreath does not automatically make Taps the appropriate soundtrack for a video.
A reader recently commented on LinkedIn a suggestion for a follow-up article after reading one of my posts about a Marine Corps color guard. The final paragraph of that post said: “If you are going to make the comment, ‘these are Marine Security Guards (in Australia) and color guard is not their job!’, don’t bother. Your primary job may not …
One of the most persistent problems in military drill and ceremonies is no longer confined to a unit, school, installation, or local community. The internet has changed the way incorrect ceremonial practices spread.