The Firing Party Timing

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Forensic Experts Galore What you hear and what you see can be two different things. A firing party fires so quickly that it can be impossible to hear that a single shot fired by all seven team members is not at exactly the same split second. We hear perfection, but a photo or still from a video can show a …

The 21-Gun Salute

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Let us get this out of the way: a firing party does not fire the 21-gun Salute.  The 21-Gun Salute is fired on land or at sea, and only by cannons, which are called guns. I know we call a rifle a gun, but it’s a rifle. The Firing Party fires the Three Volley Salute. Click here to read Fire Team, …

The DrillMaster Response

DrillMasterColor Guard/Color Team, Commentary, Drill Teams, En Espanol, Honor Guard 1 Comment

While a massive majority of readers understand exactly what I do, there a tiny few who feel that I need to be told how to do what I do. However, those few are very few and are disrespectful, arrogant, selfish, prideful, vulgar, and many times childish.

Wreath Laying Ceremony Protocols eBook

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It took a couple of months of writing and editing and my colleagues gave some great feedback during that time (thank you, Jari, Mike, and DeVaughn!) and now it’s finally here. An eBook that covers every possible (well, as much as I can conceive) wreath laying ceremony and how to accomplish it. You can purchase the eBook here.

Presenting the Colors at a Sporting Event

DrillMasterAsk DrillMaster, Color Guard/Color Team, Honor Guard, Honor Guard Training, Instructional 7 Comments

In 2017 I was talking with one of the JROTC instructors at one of the local high schools where I have taught in the afternoons and he was relaying the story of their color guard presenting the colors for a professional ball club and how the training I gave the team really helped since it provided the cadets and the …

The Chief Brief

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You have an upcoming Line of Duty Death funeral and will be handing the flag to the Sheriff, Police Chief, or Fire Chief who will then hand the folded flag to the next of kin (NOK). What do you say to brief the Chief? Here is something to help you: “Chief, stand at the head of the casket. When I …