While watching an older video of Morning Colors at Marine Barracks Washington, I initially heard the preparatory command as: “Colors, ATTENTION.”
How Pregame Productions Reduce a National Ceremony to a Visual Afterthought
With the football games come the pregame and halftime shows. During pregame, the band creates excitement, expresses school identity, and prepares the audience for the game. Cheerleaders, twirlers, dancers, and the marching-band color guard add movement, color, and spectacle. The combined production may involve hundreds of performers, carefully written drill, and weeks of rehearsal.
Fire Axes and Military Color Guards for 9/11 Ceremonies
Every year as September 11 approaches, military installations and civilian public-safety agencies begin planning Patriot Day and 9/11 remembrance ceremonies. Firefighters understandably want the fire axe represented. It is immediately recognizable, historically meaningful, and visually communicates the fire service in a way few other objects can.
The Difference Between Land and Sea Services and Carrying State Colors
A realization finally clicked for me while responding to a Navy JROTC color guard issue.
The team presented the colors with the National Color, the state flag, and the Navy departmental flag. On the surface, many people would look at that and think, “That seems reasonable. National, state, service. What is the problem?” The problem is not simply the order of precedence. The problem is authority.
When Period Uniforms and Modern Flags Do Not Match
I recently received an image from an organization asking for guidance about its color guard.
The Why of the Color Guard: The “Joint Civic/Armed Forces Color Guard”
The term “Joint Civic/Armed Forces Color Guard” sounds official. It sounds inclusive, cooperative, and appropriate for a major public event.
It is none of those things.
A Caution For Navy Massed Flag Formations: Expressive Movement and Guards
After researching Navy doctrine, I have made several discoveries and am now beginning to answer some of the questions I have had for many years. The two questions this article answers are 1) Is the “artful pageantry” of the state and territory flag formations at Navy Boot Camp (RTC Great Lakes) appropriate and, 2) are the rifle guards that the …
Navy Massed State and Territory Colors Formations
At the Boot Camp training base, RTC Great Lakes, and at the Navy Ceremonial Guard in DC, Sailors carry the states and territories in one or two massed formations. Recruit Training Command Great Lakes and the Navy Ceremonial Guard both routinely display massed State and Territory flags in one or two large formations carried by Sailors. These are Flag Display …
The CSM Is Not the Color Guard Commander
When it comes to the color guard, there’s a persistent belief that refuses to go away: “The Command Sergeant Major—the one with the sword—is the commander of the color guard at any time and for any ceremony.” It sounds right. It looks cool. It is not supported by doctrine. Let’s go to the source: TC 3-21.5 Drill and Ceremonies. Start …
Affiliation Is Not Authority: Who Gets to Carry Service Colors?
I get this question fairly regularly. What flags should we carry in the upcoming parade?