Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Color Guard/Color Team”
Authority, Emulation, and Ego in Drill & Ceremonies The category error: elite ceremonial technique being imitated in environments where it is not authorized. This is subtle — and therefore more dangerous — because it looks disciplined. What People Are Copying The maneuver being imitated is the four-man color guard countermarch executed with simultaneous pivots, as performed by: This technique is …
This is a doctrinal bleed-over problem: honor guard practice migrating into regulation drill competition.
The two environments are not the same mission set.
Army JROTC follows the TC to the letter. Marine Corps, Navy, and Coast Guard JROTC follow the same guidance with MCO 5060.20 guidon techniques. Air and Space Forces JROTC follow the same guidance with AFPAM 34-1203 guidon techniques.
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).
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.
For more than a decade, one particular competition scenario has generated persistent confusion among instructors, judges, and competitors alike: the U-shaped posting route commonly used in Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and American Legion (AL) color guard competitions.
Within military and ceremonial traditions, the color guard exists to present, protect, and honor the national colors. Every movement executed by the formation is governed by doctrine, purpose, and symbolism—not improvisation.
This article provides doctrinal clarification derived from Marine Corps Drill and Ceremonies procedures for a joint color guard under Marine Corps control
In two previous articles (available here¹ and here²), I examined instances in which U.S. Air Force–affiliated cadet programs appeared to depart from published Department of the Air Force drill and ceremonies doctrine. Those discussions raised important questions about authority, interpretation, and the proper limits of cadet instructional publications.
Three powerful concepts—Building Cohesion, Competition Simulation, and Peer Leadership—will build a truly dominant and strong drill team and color guard.