A successful drill team requires more than dedicated cadets and a knowledgeable coach. It also requires responsible adults who ensure the team has the support, facilities, equipment, supervision, and opportunities necessary to train effectively.
Taps Is a Call, Not a Soundtrack
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.
Ceremony as Language: The Why Behind the Rules
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 …
Visibility Creates Apparent Authority
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.
When Drum Corps Stopped Being Distinct
Drum and bugle corps developed as a distinctive form partly because it operated within restrictions. Those restrictions were not defects waiting for later generations to remove. They helped define what the activity was.
Selected for Potential, Not Crowned as Superior
A service Honor Guard represents that service at the highest levels of military and governmental ceremony. Its members perform demanding duties in highly visible settings where mistakes can carry consequences far beyond the individual ceremony. The mission requires discipline, precision, endurance, maturity, and a serious understanding of ceremonial responsibility.
Beyond Performance: Restoring Meaning and Standards to the Honor Guard Mission
Speech given by John K. Marshall, The DrillMaster, at the 2026 US Air Force Honor Guard Leadership Summit in Orlando, FL. The complete prepared speech and supporting documentation. The version delivered at the Summit was condensed to meet the allotted 30-minute speaking time.
The Misuse of Military Customs in Civilian Settings
Here’s why the appropriation of military traditions in civilian settings can be problematic and why it does not necessarily enhance patriotism.
Why Standards Attract Hostility
Anyone who works to establish clear standards—especially in a field that has grown informal, inconsistent, or myth-driven—will eventually encounter hostility. Not disagreement. Not thoughtful critique. Hostility.
When Emotional Backlash Is Mistaken for Critique
In any field that involves evaluation, instruction, or standards, disagreement is inevitable—and healthy. Legitimate critique improves systems, sharpens thinking, and exposes error. Emotional backlash does none of these things, yet the two are frequently confused.