The United States Navy Ceremonial Guard is the official ceremonial unit of the United States Navy. It is responsible for the performance of public duties in the U.S. Navy. The guard is composed of 200+ enlisted navy personnel. It is based at Naval District Washington, Washington Navy Yard, Washington D.C. [1] It is currently led by Commander Alexander McMahon.
Established in 1931, the United States Navy Ceremonial Guard represents the Navy in the Presidential, Joint Armed Services, Navy and public ceremonies in the nation's capital and around the world. Each member is trained to be motionless for extended periods of time so that they will be prepared to hold their bearing through the entirety of the longest of military ceremonies. They are trained in the areas of rifle drill manual and marching as well as the daily labor of maintaining the rigorous physical and uniform standards demanded of Ceremonial Guardsmen.
The United States Navy Ceremonial Guard provides along with ceremonial honour guards from the U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Air Force during State visits to the United States at the White House and the Pentagon, as well as the inaugural parade every four years, and Independence Day observances in Washington, D.C. Its personnel serve as Casket bearers, Color guards, and Firing parties at the funerals of Naval Servicemen at Arlington National Cemetery. They also have the Navy ceremonial Guard Drill team that performs all over and outside the U.S. [3] [4]
The Navy Ceremonial Duty Ribbon is presented to members of the ceremonial guard who, receives their full honors qualification, and completes a standard tour of duty (2 years) with the United States Navy Ceremonial Guard. [5] It was established on 12 December 2003 by order of Secretary of the Navy Gordon R. England. On 17 January 2012, the name of the Navy Ceremonial Duty Ribbon was changed [6] from the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard Ribbon in order to encompass those personnel who have successfully completed a standard tour of duty on board USS Constitution. Multiple awards of the Navy Ceremonial Duty Ribbon are denoted by bronze service stars, while only one award of the ribbon is authorized for each tour of duty.
For the Ceremonial Guard, the enlisted Full Dress uniforms are more elaborate with the wearing of a white pistol belt, ascot, and dress aiguilette (the latter two are white for winter and navy blue for summer), and white canvas leggings. This uniform is due to be replaced in 2021. [7]
In military organizations, a colour guard is a detachment of soldiers assigned to the protection of regimental colours and the national flag. This duty is highly prestigious, and the military colour is generally carried by a young officer (ensign), while experienced non-commissioned officers are assigned to the protection of the national flag. These non-commissioned officers, accompanied sometimes by warrant officers, can be ceremonially armed with either sabres or rifles to protect the colour. Colour guards are generally dismounted, but there are also mounted colour guard formations as well.
A drill instructor is a non-commissioned officer in the armed forces, fire department, or police forces with specific duties that vary by country. Foot drill, military step, and marching are typically taught by drill instructors.
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.
The Good Conduct Medal is one of the oldest military awards of the United States Armed Forces. The U.S. Navy's variant of the Good Conduct Medal was established in 1869, the Marine Corps version in 1896, the Coast Guard version in 1923, the Army version in 1941, and the Air Force version in 1963; the Air Force Good Conduct Medal was temporarily discontinued from February 2006 to February 2009, followed by its subsequent reinstatement.
The U.S. military issues instructor badges to specially training military personnel who are charged with teaching military recruits the skills they need to perform as members of the U.S. Armed Forces or teach continuing education courses for non-commissioned officers and officers in the military. With the exception of the U.S. Army and U.S. Coast Guard, these badges are considered temporary military decorations and must be surrendered upon completion of one's duty as a military instructor. Because of this, the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps award Drill Instructor Ribbons as a permanent decoration to recognize service members who have qualified and performed as military instructors.
The Navy Ceremonial Duty Ribbon, is an award of the United States Navy which was established on December 12, 2003 by order of Secretary of the Navy Gordon R. England for a successful tour of duty with the United States Navy Ceremonial Guard or USS Constitution ending on or after May 1, 2001. A Sailor's service prior to this date does not qualify the member for the ribbon.
A Drill Instructor Ribbon is a military award of the United States Armed Forces which is issued by the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Force, and U.S. Marine Corps. The Drill Instructor Ribbon recognizes those service members who are trained and qualified as military instructors to new recruits during initial basic training.
Insignias and badges of the United States Navy are military badges issued by the United States Department of the Navy to naval service members who achieve certain qualifications and accomplishments while serving on both active and reserve duty in the United States Navy. Most naval aviation insignia are also permitted for wear on uniforms of the United States Marine Corps.
The peaked cap, peaked hat, service cap, barracks cover or combination cap is a form of headgear worn by the armed forces of many nations, as well as many uniformed civilian organisations such as law enforcement agencies and fire departments. It derives its name from its short visor, or peak, which was historically made of polished leather but increasingly is made of a cheaper synthetic substitute.
An aiguillette, also spelled aguillette, aiglet or aglet, is a cord with metal tips or lace tags, or the decorative tip itself.
Full dress uniform, also known as a ceremonial dress uniform or parade dress uniform, is the most formal type of uniforms used by military, police, fire and other public uniformed services for official parades, ceremonies, and receptions, including private ones such as marriages and funerals. Full dress uniforms typically include full-size orders and medals insignia. Styles tend to trace back to uniforms used during the 19th century, although the 20th century saw the adoption of mess dress-styled full-dress uniforms. Designs may depend on regiment or service branch. In Western dress codes, full dress uniform is a permitted supplementary alternative equivalent to the civilian white tie for evening wear or morning dress for day wear – sometimes collectively called full dress – although military uniforms are the same for day and evening wear. As such, full dress uniform is the most formal uniform, followed by the mess dress uniform.
The Summerall Guards is a military drill platoon at The Citadel, a military college in Charleston, South Carolina. The Summerall Guards was formed in 1932 and is named after General Charles P. Summerall, former chief of staff of the United States Army and president of The Citadel from 1931 to 1953.
The uniforms of the United States Navy include dress uniforms, daily service uniforms, working uniforms, and uniforms for special situations, which have varied throughout the history of the navy. For simplicity in this article, officers refers to both commissioned officers and warrant officers.
The United States Air Force Honor Guard is the official ceremonial unit of the United States Air Force and is assigned to Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington D.C.
A guard of honour (GB), also honor guard (US), also ceremonial guard, is a group of people, usually military in nature, appointed to receive or guard a head of state or other dignitaries, the fallen in war, or to attend at state ceremonials, especially funerals. In military weddings, especially those of commissioned officers, a guard, composed usually of service members of the same branch, form the sabre arch. In principle, any military unit could act as a guard of honour. However, in some countries certain units are specially designated to serve as a guard of honour, as well as other public duties.
The United States Marine Corps (USMC) prescribes several types of military uniform to distinguish its service members from other armed services, depending on the situation.
The uniforms of the United States Air Force are the standardized military uniforms worn by airmen of the United States Air Force to distinguish themselves from the other services.
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 United States Coast Guard Ceremonial Honor Guard is a unit of the United States Coast Guard responsible for the performance of public duties. Stationed at the Command, Control, Communication, Computer, Cyber and Intelligence Service Center (C5ISC) in Alexandria, Virginia, the unit was activated in 1962.
The Uniforms of the United States Coast Guard include dress uniforms, daily service uniforms, working uniforms, and uniforms for special situations, which have varied throughout the history of the USCG.
