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Color Guard Confusion...

Dr. Drill

You can submit your questions to Dr. Drill via e-mail to : DrDrill@CadetStuff.org.

Dear Dr. Drill,

Hi, my question is about color guard. While the guard is in forward march on which shoulder is it appropriate for the the Left Guardsmen to rest his rifle on? I have seen some guard units with rifles on both of the guardsmen right shoulders. And some with the right shoulder with the right guard and the left shoulder with the left guardsmen. I the manuals it those not state but it shows in the pictures with only the right shoulder. I have seen some Marines doing it the two diferent ways. Please help which is the correct way, or can I do both? Thanks!

Lt. A. Solorio

Dr. Drill responds:

Hi LT,

Well, you don't tell me what flavor of drill is your own, so I'll assume your a member of the C-A-P ("And the C-A-P is the best of families to ever come over from old Italy!"). I'm also going to assume that you perused the AFMAN 36-2203 and found nothing about which shoulder the guards should use for their rifles.

This means that, basically, you can do whatever you like. The same is true of the Sea Services, since NAVMC 2691 doesn't mention it either. The Army does give specific guidance in FM 3-21.5:

b. The Color guard is formed and Marched in one rank at Close Interval, the bearers in the center. They do not execute Rear March or About Face. The Color guard marches at Right Shoulder Arms and executes Facing movements by wheeling to the right or left.

Emphasis mine.

I hope this answers your question. Good luck!

Dr. Drill

Caution: Dr. Drill isn't always one hundred percent serious. Please activate your Joke Detectors. And don't call us when you find yourself explaining to a membership termination board why you used a staple gun to keep a cadet's hands at his sides during "To The Rear, March". All we're going to say on your behalf is "Duh!"

And if you find yourself on the bad end of a serious counseling because you decided to go toe-to-toe with your squadron commander over the position of the guide during a squadron-in-mass formation or something similarly trivial, well, we're just going to point, laugh and call you names!

Dr. Drill welcomes comments and corrections. Nothing herein is to be construed as official policy unless quoted from an up-to-date regulation or manual and Dr. Drill is not to be used as a blunt instrument to reshape the pointy heads of your superiors. Dr. Drill has made an extensive study of the drill and knows some people who know some things, but he's not the Final Authority on what happens at your unit. That Final Authority is? That's right, kids! Your UNIT COMMANDER.