Dragoons were originally a class of mounted infantry, who used horses for mobility, but dismounted to fight on foot. From the early 17th century onward, dragoons were increasingly also employed as conventional cavalry and trained for combat with swords and firearms from horseback. While their use goes back to the late 16th century, dragoon regiments were established in most European armies during the 17th and early 18th centuries; they provided greater mobility than regular infantry but were far less expensive than cavalry.
A military funeral is a memorial or burial rite given by a country's military for a soldier, sailor, marine or airman who died in battle, a veteran, or other prominent military figures or heads of state. A military funeral may feature guards of honor, the firing of volley shots as a salute, drumming and other military elements, with a flag draping over the coffin.
A riderless horse is a single horse without a rider and with boots reversed in the stirrups, which sometimes accompanies a funeral procession. The horse, sometimes caparisoned in black, follows the caisson carrying the casket. A riderless horse can also be featured in parades to symbolize either fallen soldiers, fallen police officers or deceased equestrian athletes. A motorcycle can be used as a substitute for a horse though such practice is very rare.
The 28th Infantry Division ("Keystone") is a unit of the United States Army National Guard, and is the oldest division-sized unit in the Army. Some of the units of the division can trace their lineage to Benjamin Franklin's battalion, The Pennsylvania Associators (1747–1777). The division was officially established in 1879 and was later redesignated as the 28th Division in 1917, after the entry of America into the First World War. It is today part of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, Maryland Army National Guard, Ohio Army National Guard, and New Jersey Army National Guard.
The King's Guard are sentry postings at Buckingham Palace and St James's Palace, organised by the British Army's Household Division. The Household Division also mounts sentry postings at Horse Guards, known as the King's Life Guard.
The 3rd United States Infantry Regiment is a regiment of the United States Army. It currently has three active battalions, and is readily identified by its nickname, The Old Guard, as well as Escort to the President. The regimental motto is Noli Me Tangere. The regiment is a major unit of the Military District of Washington (MDW). The 3rd Infantry is the oldest regiment still active in the Regular Army, having been first organized as the First American Regiment in 1784. It has been the official ceremonial unit of the U.S. Army since 1948.
Master Sergeant Pedro Rodríguez was a U.S. Army soldier from Puerto Rico who earned two Silver Stars within a seven-day period during the Korean War. He is one of the few U.S. Army soldiers and perhaps the only Puerto Rican soldier other than Brigadier General Antonio Rodríguez Balinas, Second Lieutenant Vidal Rodriguez-Amaro, and Sergeant First Class Felix G. Nieves to receive more than one Silver Star during the Korean War. Rodríguez served in the 65th Infantry Regiment during both World War II and the Korean War; the 65th Infantry was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2014.
The United States Army Military District of Washington (MDW) is one of nineteen major commands of the United States Army. Its headquarters are located at Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, D.C. The missions of the units in the Military District of Washington include ceremonial tasks as well as a combat role in the defense of the National Capital Region.
A coal-black Morgan-American Quarter Horse cross, Black Jack served in the Caisson Platoon of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment. Named in honor of General of the Armies John J. "Black Jack" Pershing, he was the riderless horse in more than 1,000 Armed Forces Full Honors Funerals (AFFHF), the majority of which were in Arlington National Cemetery. With boots reversed in the stirrups, he was a symbol of a fallen leader.
Dana James Hillian Pittard is a retired United States Army general officer. He served as Joint Force Land Component Commander-Iraq (JFLCC-I) from June 9, 2014, during the coalition response to the incursions by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Daesh) into Iraq from Syria. Pittard was deputy commanding general of operations (DCG-O) for ARCENT, the United States Central Command/Third Army, based in Kuwait, until 2015. He was also the commanding general of the 1st Armored Division and Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. He was also Deputy Chief of Staff of Operations & Training at the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) at Fort Monroe, Virginia and commanding general of the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, California.
The Royal Guard is an independent regiment of the Spanish Armed Forces that is dedicated to the protection of the King of Spain and members of the Spanish royal family. It currently has a strength of 1,500 troops. While the Guard participates in parades and other ceremonial events, it is a fully functional combat unit. Its members are recruited from the ranks of all three branches of the Spanish Armed Forces and receive the same combat training as regular soldiers.
In the United States, state funerals are the official funerary rites conducted by the federal government in the nation's capital, Washington, D.C., that are offered to a sitting or former president, a president-elect, high government officials and other civilians who have rendered distinguished service to the nation. Administered by the Military District of Washington (MDW), a command unit of the Joint Force Headquarters National Capital Region, state funerals are greatly influenced by protocol, steeped in tradition, and rich in history. However, the overall planning as well as the decision to hold a state funeral, is largely determined by a president and their family.
Joint Base Myer–Henderson Hall is a joint base of the United States Armed Forces, located across multiple sites in the National Capital Region. It is jointly made up of is made up of Fort Myer, Fort McNair, and Henderson Hall. It is the local residue of the Base Realignment and Closure, 2005 process. It is commanded by the United States Army but has resident commands of Army, Navy, & Marines. Most conspicuous is the Arlington National Cemetery Honor Guard.
The Infantry Branch is a branch of the United States Army first established in 1775.
A military funeral in the United States is a memorial or burial rite conducted by the United States Armed Forces for a Soldier, Marine, Sailor, Airman, Guardian or Coast Guardsman who died in battle, a veteran, or other prominent military figures or a president. A military funeral may feature guards of honor, the firing of volley shots as a salute, drumming and other military elements, with a flag draping over the coffin.
The Military Horseman Identification Badge recognizes United States Army soldiers who complete the nine-week Basic Horsemanship Course and serve as a lead rider on the Caisson team within the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment. The badge was first awarded on September 29, 2017, to soldiers during a ceremony held at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Virginia. According to Salute Uniforms, "the Military Horseman Identification Badge might be the most elusive skill badge a Soldier can earn."
Klinger is a horse owned by the United States Army. An inductee into the Horse Stars Hall of Fame, as of 2017 he was posted to Washington, D.C.
Sergeant York is a retired horse that was previously owned by the United States Army.
Major General Francis J. Evon Jr. is the Adjutant General of the Connecticut National Guard. He is responsible to the Governor and the Chief, National Guard Bureau, for providing operationally trained, equipped and mission-ready forces to support both U.S. mobilization requirements and state emergency operations to include developing and coordinating counter terrorism and domestic preparedness contingencies for the State of Connecticut. He implements policies, programs, and plans as the direct link to all state assigned National Guard resources, providing information and evaluation, issue resolution and action recommendations. General Evon began his military career in 1985 as an enlisted Anti-Tank Crewman in the Combat Support Company, 2nd Battalion, 102nd Infantry of the Connecticut Army National Guard. He was commissioned through the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps in 1989. Major General Evon has held command leadership positions at the company, battalion, and brigade levels. He served as commander of the 1st Battalion, 102d Infantry Regiment in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom from November 2009 to November 2010. Prior to his current assignment, General Evon served as the assistant adjutant general for the Connecticut Army National Guard. His promotion to major general was confirmed at the federal level by the U.S. Senate on May 23, 2019.
Fred Moore is a former U.S. Army soldier and former member of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, best known as the prestigious "The Old Guard” or Honor Guard Company sentinel of Company E, 4th Battalion.
