Never Forget: The Old Guard Remembers 9/11

Elements of the DC National Guard will deploy in the Nation's Capital Monday J-6th to begin a very high profile two weeks in Washington for the state funeral of Jimmy Carter and then the Inauguration. This report shows the non scalable wire fence set up around the Capitol grounds and some of the steps being taken to enhance security in the aftermath of the New Orleans horror.

DC leaders are heightening security Following the attack in New Orleans​

WUSA9


DC Police Chief Pamela Smith says law enforcement agencies in the District are monitoring any potential threats ahead of a series of high profile events.


Monday J6th is the electoral count vote certification.

Tuesday the 7th is when the Joint Task Force - National Capital Region and its Old Guard Caisson horses with Military Horsemen will begin the joint services march from the Navy Memorial to the Capitol where former Pres. Carter will lie in state until Thursday. Until Thursday, the 9th, masses of people will enter the Capitol grounds to file past the casket of the 39th Potus and his joint service "Death Watch" guards of honor (as they are called in house at the JTF-NCR).

On Thursday Carter will be taken by hearse motorcade from the Capitol to the Washington National Cathedral at Washington Heights in upper Northwest Washington for his funeral service, then off to Andrews AFB and his return to Georgia. A military ceremony will be conducted at each event, an arrival ceremony and a departure ceremony. So on Thursday there will be a departure ceremony from the Capitol and an arrival ceremony at the Cathedral; a departure ceremony at the Cathedral and a departure ceremony at Andrews.

Do you think the Iranians are still mad at him ?

This is an excellent video of the Arrival Ceremony of Jimmy Carter's casket to the Carter Center in Atlanta GA. The video is tight, meaning it's only of the ceremony action and without wait time or lots of steep steps to conquer.

Except for the 282nd Army Field Band from nearby Ft. Jackson, all the Guards we see in the Arrival are from the Joint Task Force - National Capital Region. Included is the Task Force Commanding General MajGen Trevor Bredenkamp who officially is the Escort whose official duty is to accompany the next of kin and family during ceremonies and to travel with them -- and at all times to facilitate their comfort, timing, positioning and movement.


Highest Military Honors State Funeral | President Jimmy Carter | Arrival Ceremony | The Carter Center Atlanta

Honor Guards / Joint Task Force - National Capital Region / Washington DC | Joint Service Casket Team | Flag of the President

USA National Colors | Navy Chaplain | 282nd Army Field Band / Ft. Jackson GA | MajGen Trevor Bredenkamp Commanding

60,492 Views | Jan 4, 2025



The casket of former President Jimmy Carter arrived at the Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia, on Saturday, the first day of his state funeral procession. CBS News chief election and campaign correspondent Robert Costa and historian and CBS News contributor Douglas Brinkley report.


The lady senior chaplain who is a Navy Captain/colonel marches in heels which is a remarkable feat in itself. The Army Captain in charge of the casket and casket team is CO of the Engineer Company of the 3rd Infantry Regiment TOG which means the Regiment's Captains are spread out pretty thinly across the many venues to facilitate the Carter State Funeral over the course of its 7 days. I know this Engineer officer is in the Regiment by the Regiment's signature Buff Strap at his left shoulder that is brown and black. The castles on his lapels indicate Corps of Engineers of course.

The 3 IR buff strap goes back to Gen. Washington's commander in chief guard in the War of Independence. It's when Baron von Stubben arrived and told the guards they needed to shine their scuzzy brass ha. So the ladies created a dual purpose strap to clean then shine. The modern 3 IR buff strap is a synthetic replica that's worn to honor the Regiment's history and traditions. This Captain btw remains in the chamber for the service because he is the officer in charge of the casket as well as the team. We see too ha the Marines at their Washington Barracks assigned a couple of their casket bearer gorillas to this one. Marines insist their casket bearer teams be gorillas so this in their norm and more power to 'em of course.

During my time in TOG I was one of two LTs who in rotation were in charge of military funeral services in the Ft. Myer Chapel to include all branches and not just the Army. I experienced different religions in the non denominational Chapel to include each service branch of guards and casket bearers. This service that's not in this video is definitely worth watching as an observer participant. Except for one crazy lady at the podium this one is excellent indeed. A lot of class to this one.

Queen Elizabeth II Funeral: royal family say final goodbye​

Best head of state ever.

According to a release by the Joint Task Force - National Capital Region, Ceremonies celebrating and honoring the late president begin at 11 a.m Tuesday Jan. 7th to include:

• A departure ceremony from the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta
• A departure ceremony from Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia
• An arrival ceremony at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland
• A caisson horse funeral procession from the U.S. Navy Memorial to the U.S. Capitol
• An arrival ceremony and service at the U.S. Capitol
• The day concludes with Carter lying in state at the U.S. Capitol from 7 p.m. to midnight.

The public is invited to honor and celebrate the life of former President Carter tomorrow along the funeral procession route on Pennsylvania and Constitution Avenues, and during lying in state at the U.S. Capitol.




I'll be posting videos of course.

Washington is notoriously terrible dealing with snow but the caisson horse march of troops will go on. It's legend that on the day before Pres. Kennedy's inauguration a huge blizzard buried Washington that shut down the city. While the few plows cleared streets from hotels to the Capitol and parade route, all the troops of the Joint Task Force were called out to shovel snow all night then return to their barracks to throw on their overcoats and fall out for the inaugural parade.

During two of my nearly four years in TOG we got hit with the mother of all blizzards that included burying Ft. Myer so, yep, there was the entire regiment out there shoveling snow all night and into the day. They shoveled snow in the wind and while it was snowing into our face which brought some choice remarks from the troops ha. We felt the troops were entitled to their opinion on it, just not too much so.


I see too that the Death Watch as it's called in house has NCOs in charge of each DW team which is more than unusual, it's rare given DW has always had an LT/LT j.g. in charge. This tells me Gen. Bredencamp is short of company grade officers to cover all the venues for the planning and the execution of the events at their time and in their place. There's no doubt the state funeral will execute properly, it's just that for this state funeral a bunch of company grade officers and nco from each service are doing more prep work and duty than their usual or their norm.

The Washington DC Navy Band (and the Fife & Drum Corps) were scheduled for the Rose Parade long before Pres. Carter passed on Dec. 29th and they were in California already when Carter died. MajGen Bredenkamp CG of the JTF-NCR and commander of the Carter State Funeral made the decision to leave the two Rose Parade bands in place and use the Army and Air Force bands that were still in the NCR in the state funeral. At least until the Navy band and the FDC returned to base.

United States Army Old Guard Fife & Drum Corps | Active Duty Horse Soldiers​

2025 Pasadena Rose Parade​

1,794 views Jan 1, 2025 PASADENA

The United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps perform at the 136th Annual Pasadena Rose Parade, Wednesday, January 1, 2025. People on the Left Coast don't know the FDC so they just kind of gawk at 'em. This is half the Corps while half are back home where they're known and doing a parade or two in Washington and area.

The United States Navy Band from Washington D.C. - 2025 Pasadena Rose Parade​

4,959 Views | PASADENA

From Washington, D.C. The United States Navy Band performing at the 136th Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade on Wednesday, January 1, 2025, led by the Commodore Commanding. Music selections in the video are Anchors Aweigh and Columbia Gem Of The Ocean.

USMC West Coast Composite Band - The Marines' Hymn - 2025 Pasadena Rose Parade​

Pass in Review || Reviewing Officer: Commanding General I Marine Expeditionary Force​

Camp Pendelton CA​

14,538 Views Jan 1, 2025 PASADENA

The United States Marine Corps West Coast Composite Band performing The Marines' Hymn at the 136th Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade on Wednesday, January 1, 2025.

This composite group brings elements of three Marine Bands together from around Southern California: Marine Band San Diego, the 1st Marine Division Band and the 3D Marine Aircraft Wing Band. The band members are fully combat-trained, and many have been on combat deployments. This fine band has marched in the Rose Parade for over 20 consecutive years. Before the band, we have the USMC Mounted Color Guard. It is the only equestrian unit that carries the American flag.

Hey, look.

Tangmo complained about the thread being derailed.... While he derails.

Old Guard are wearing ear-muffs for the President Carter funeral procession, not the Marines, Navy or Air Force. Haven’t seen the Space Force yet.

Anyone know what the shift is for the guards when a body lies in state?

Are they changed out individually or as a unit?

This is the video of the Caisson march from the Navy Memorial to the Capitol Building. It includes the DC Police Motorcycle Wedge lead, the commander of troops Col. Thos. Kilbride CO of The Old Guard Regiment and his JTF staff of the CO of each service ceremonial unit; the Army Band, and a marching platoon from each service ceremonial guard: Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force-Space Force, Coast Guard.

The vid includes the placement positioning of the JTF two ranks of cordon guards up the "front' steps of the Capitol, across from each other. The Joint Chiefs form up just off the base of the Capitol Steps. The family walks behind the Caisson which is to the rear of the march formation. The family chose to walk up PA Ave to the Capitol because Carter and Rosslyn in the inaugural parade walked the whole distance of the parade route which was unique in modern times.

Jimmy Carter state funeral procession arrives at the US Capitol​

We get some good views of the Navy Memorial on PA Ave where the casket was transferred to the Caisson from its hearse arrived from Andrews AFB across the District line in MD. The USN Memorial was established in 1987 but it was created and approved while Carter the Annapolis grad and Navy LT was Potus/C n'c. The band doesn't play much because they'll tell you playing wind instruments in this kind of cold is a bitch plus the music loses some quality in cold air that doesn't happen in warm air although I couldn't ever hear a difference ha.

At the Capitol the procession enters the windblown Capitol Plaza at the East Front of the building from the Senate side. The security fence gate to Capitol Plaza is open and two nco's from the Caisson Platoon begin to walk alongside the horses who don't do well in cold weather either. A security fence has also been placed at the National Cathedral on Washington Heights given the funeral service will have tons of VIPs to include foreign and former Potus.

The vid doesn't actually get to the marching troops until after 6mins which is when the sound kicks in. FYI at around 12mins at the Constitution Ave turnoff from PA Ave we see the round building that houses C-SPAN and its live camera view of the Capitol. Several other networks have joined in to rent space in the building for their live Capitol views.

Effectively the video ends at 37:30 as the troops outside with the Caisson team wait for the Carter funeral party to enter the Capitol at the ground level and make their way to the Rotunda, then to the outside front where they with MajGen Bredenkamp stand as the casket is carried up the steps and into the Rotunda. All we get from 37:30 on however to the conclusion of the vid is the wait, then it ends kaput just like that during the wait. It's the ol' military hurry up and wait from a radically different perspective.

Jimmy Carter 21 Gun Salute | Arrival Ceremony | US Capitol​

Old Guard Presidential Salute Battery | Hail To The Chief​

Former President Jimmy Carter was honored on Capitol Hill on Tuesday with a 21 gun salute before being taken into the Rotunda to lie in state. The video includes moving the casket from the Caisson into the Capitol

The Salute Battery brings four of its 105mm (anti-tank) guns to a military full honors funeral. Three do the firing while the fourth gun at the far left is a standby gun fully locked and loaded ready to fire if one of the three old time guns fail. The OIC is at our far right, the grunt next to him has a slate of 1 to 21 that he marks on each fire; the next grunt has a stopwatch that the next grunt reads to holler "fiiire" each 5 seconds for a funeral; fire each 3 seconds for the inauguration. So it's TOG Presidential Salute Battery that also fires the 21 gun salute the moment the inauguration of the Potus/Cn'C is affected.

After the guns the vid resumes with the casket being carried into the Rotunda preceded by the Joint Chiefs in this full honors military funeral. The Cardinal Rule of US military casket teams is to keep the casket parallel and level to the ground at all times no matter how much ball busting it may take for the casket bearers. The OIC marching behind is never to touch the casket or so much as breath on it so as not to risk disturbing the balance and rhythms of the casket team operating in a precise unison. In a Caisson funeral the OIC inspects the secure contact of the casket to the Caisson as done by the casket team, ie, the straps and the stops at each end of the casket plus the precise layover of the flag.

9/11?

Rexedgar said:

Anyone know what the shift is for the guards when a body lies in state?

Are they changed out individually or as a unit?

Click to expand...

Alas I'd posted in scrolling about this although not entirely in my post #418 as follows then I'll add a bit more....

"Watch as a procession of thousands of prestigious guests follow the state funeral of former US President General Dwight 'Ike' Eisenhower as he is transported through Washington D.C. to Washington Cathedral. I was there for this one as a participant doing Death Watch as OIC of one of four teams in the Capitol Rotunda, one hour each in rotation."

So each "Death Watch" team has the same four members of the JTF, one from each service and an Officer in Charge, one from each service distributed among the four teams. Each the team is a whole unit for the time of their Watch which is typically 24 hours. If the DW is for a longer period such as 36 hours or 32 hours then new teams are formed to fill in the additional time. A DW is for one hour and each service guard has the same placement spot relative to the casket and the positioning is permanent for that service branch for all DW assignments and always. And we always refer to the casket, never as "the body." Each company in the JTF services ceremonial guards has a "Casket Bearer Platoon." Each platoon has three teams of progressive competencies to advance to Team One. All 3 team leaders are ultimately competent and accomplished.

Given there are four one hour tour teams, each DW team in the Capitol gets a classroom size meeting room in the Capitol rearranged with bunks, a wall locker for each team member for the three hours off duty. The Army brings in a half fridge, a coffee maker with Army coffee ha, paper plates and stuff although they bring you three squares a day and some twinkies and stuff. It's really temporary so there's not much sacrifice to it ha. The team OICs get the same stuff in a room of our own and while chairs are provided, the OIC room gets some sofa type chairs.

It's a strict practice with all services guards to not remain in your dress uniform if you're not doing anything for a time, hence the wall locker (hangers provided) to hang up your dress uniform. You bring jeans/trousers and a shirt to wear when you're not in uniform so you can hit the rest room nearby the meeting room you're in. They bring in a tv too so we can see WTF was going on out there while we were confined to the windowless Capitol building converted meeting room of which there are many. It's like being a Tomb Guard for their 24 hour tour on three reliefs.

Movements on DW are counted off silently of course. The OIC salutes then the guards count one thousand, two thousand, three thousand and salute. With each movement the guards pause for an instant for timed unison. Order arms is rinse and repeat with the OIC releasing the salute. On exit the OIC marches slow pace to the top of the hallway ahead and stops. The guards count again and move to the OIC and halt. The OIC nods his head and the team moves out at their slow pace. Each team practices in the basement and after three or four go arounds it's nailed down pat. Two rounds of practice in a side hallway before you march out to relieve the guards on duty and it's showtime. In TOG when your platoon buds drop a ham sandwich on your table you know you've arrived.

Tangmo said:

Alas I'd posted in scrolling about this although not entirely in my post #418 as follows then I'll add a bit more....

"Watch as a procession of thousands of prestigious guests follow the state funeral of former US President General Dwight 'Ike' Eisenhower as he is transported through Washington D.C. to Washington Cathedral. I was there for this one as a participant doing Death Watch as OIC of one of four teams in the Capitol Rotunda, one hour each in rotation."

So each "Death Watch" team has the same four members of the JTF, one from each service and an Officer in Charge, one from each service distributed among the four teams. Each the team is a whole unit for the time of their Watch which is typically 24 hours. If the DW is for a longer period such as 36 hours or 32 hours then new teams are formed to fill in the additional time. A DW is for one hour and each service guard has the same placement spot relative to the casket and the positioning is permanent for that service branch for all DW assignments and always. And we always refer to the casket, never as "the body." Each company in the JTF services ceremonial guards has a "Casket Bearer Platoon." Each platoon has three teams of progressive competencies to advance to Team One. All 3 team leaders are ultimately competent and accomplished.

Given there are four one hour tour teams, each DW team in the Capitol gets a classroom size meeting room in the Capitol rearranged with bunks, a wall locker for each team member for the three hours off duty. The Army brings in a half fridge, a coffee maker with Army coffee ha, paper plates and stuff although they bring you three squares a day and some twinkies and stuff. It's really temporary so there's not much sacrifice to it ha. The team OICs get the same stuff in a room of our own and while chairs are provided, the OIC room gets some sofa type chairs.

It's a strict practice with all services guards to not remain in your dress uniform if you're not doing anything for a time, hence the wall locker (hangers provided) to hang up your dress uniform. You bring jeans/trousers and a shirt to wear when you're not in uniform so you can hit the rest room nearby the meeting room you're in. They bring in a tv too so we can see WTF was going on out there while we were confined to the windowless Capitol building converted meeting room of which there are many. It's like being a Tomb Guard for their 24 hour tour on three reliefs.

Movements on DW are counted off silently of course. The OIC salutes then the guards count one thousand, two thousand, three thousand and salute. With each movement the guards pause for an instant for timed unison. Order arms is rinse and repeat with the OIC releasing the salute. On exit the OIC marches slow pace to the top of the hallway ahead and stops. The guards count again and move to the OIC and halt. The OIC nods his head and the team moves out at their slow pace. Each team practices in the basement and after three or four go arounds it's nailed down pat. Two rounds of practice in a side hallway before you march out to relieve the guards on duty and it's showtime. In TOG when your platoon buds drop a ham sandwich on your table you know you've arrived.

Click to expand...

Thanks for your detailed overview and analysis of what transpires during a presidential funeral. Very informative.

Rexedgar said:

Old Guard are wearing ear-muffs for the President Carter funeral procession, not the Marines, Navy or Air Force. Haven’t seen the Space Force yet.

Click to expand...

Each service is wearing earmuffs except for the Marines. Check out the vid at 23:00 when each service platoon marches past a camera on Capitol Plaza. One can see that only the Marines have their ears exposed and that their ears are red from the cold and the wind.

The Army has a headgear that replaces the service cap by covering the entire head which we didn't have when I was there a hundred years ago -- we didn't have earmuffs then either. Other services in this funeral march have their earmuffs with the connecter band around the back of the neck instead of across the top of the head where they continue to wear their visor caps. I think the Navy guards with their cute little Sailor caps must use super glue to keep their caps from blowing off in almost any wind. I remember from when I was there we'd see some Navy caps on the ground anytime there'd be a 12 mph wind or greater -- which is when we put our chinstraps in place. I see in this video that despite the often wicked wind TOG doesn't use its chinstraps at all. Nothing though about the Navy and its grounded caps has changed ha.

Plus all that the Navy guards wear in the most freezing temps is long underwear with their regular Sailor winter blue uniform. They don't wear a jacket or the long overcoat the other services wear. Notice though the Coast Guard casket bearer with the service cap doesn't wear the overcoat so he can have greater flexibility reaching and handling the casket. Indeed and despite providing protection the long winter coat does obstruct and interfere with the marching. We can see this effect in the video as the marching is loose and bouncy bouncy which is the worst crime against smooth marching, bouncy bouncy. I never found the overcoat to be much of a problem although it was a very different presence in the marching, but then again I was probably one in a hundred who didn't dislike marching in the long coat.

I got put thankyou in the Nixon inaugural parade (barf) in the long coat that was no problem for myself along with only a few others while most troops felt burdened by wearing the sucker. I still to this day ha don't know who in TOG command I pissed off enough for him to stick me in the Nixon inaugural parade. Inaugural parade is a wicked ton of practice and daybreak rehearsals down PA Ave before the city wakes up. You march at dawn. Also practice march at the Naval Air Station Anacostia up and down a runway -- up and down and up and down again and up and down some more.

Space Force is hard pressed to find members who willingly/voluntarily seek or accept assignment to their fledging ceremonial guard in Washington. All services seek only volunteers for ceremonial assignment given the Pentagon does not want anyone in the honor guards who doesn't want to be there which is almost everyone ha. Pentagon wants only hams who do the ceremonial stuff willingly and well -- conscientiously.

Yet for the Space Force both the enlisted and officers want the Star Trek technology and interplanetary science stuff, not the ceremonial stuff, so it's hard for this new futuristic defenders of the earth service to find people to parade around for 4 years or more. Yes, Space Force members are called Defenders -- Defenders of the USA from the alien forces right here on earth who use the space above it in their evil ways. So those precious few in the SF who do volunteer for their ceremonial guard get put in with the Air Force guards. Consequently the typical AF marching platoon will have several SF Defenders in it but that's about it for the Space Force and the guardians of honor in the JTF. This reality looks pretty permanent.

Oops,

Guardians is what Space Force members are called. I minced my words and used a synonym instead.


Sixteen newly enlisted U.S. Space Force Honor Guard Guardians prepare to sing "Semper Supra," the official Space Force song, after the first Space Force Honor Guard transfer ceremony at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C., Aug. 30, 2023. The transition marked the first day Airmen assigned to the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard transferred to the Space Force to become U.S. Space Force Honor Guard ceremonial guardsmen. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Nilsa Garcia)



Sixteen Space Force Honor Guard Guardians in 2023 initially plus six more since last August is a start but the SF itself is still building its force strength. It was only in August last year that SF Honor Guard direct enlistees who were not prior Air Force Honor Guards who we see in the photo completed Honor Guard training at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, D.C. Indeed, Anacostia-Bolling is a Navy Air Station and Air Force joint base where Bolling AFB has long hosted the USAF Honor Guard. The two are close by in DC but each is a separate facility. NAS Anacostia ceased air operations decades ago to become a residence facility new and existing.

Until last August the Space Force Honor Guard was made up of prior USAF Airmen who had transferred to the Space Force to become ceremonial guards. But the SF graduation the past August included six Guardians, five men and one woman, who were assigned to honor guard training at Anacostia-Bolling right after completing basic military training. For the SF, Bolling AFB is the place rather than the NAS Anacostia that hosts the Navy Ceremonial Guard, although there's some overlap in training the SF guards. Each base is in DC but at its residential western extreme.

The fact remains the Space Force itself and its Guardians too have a low public profile, the whole of it is new and largely unknown and the SF remains unfamiliar to most everyone. I haven't seen a single video about the Space Force Guardians yet.

Still and with the current go around about Greenland I saw that the Space Force and its Guardians have some operations going at the Thule AFB on the island. It's a base that's existed against Russia since the Cold War -- and now against the CCP China too. In the Carter funeral I spotted a couple of SF Honor Guards is the cordon on the front steps of the Capitol. I couldn't count more than two however but I only had tv camera time.

Space Force Guardians and Honor Guards.

Joint Task Force National Capital Region


Military District of Washington DC. HQ Fort Leslie J. McNair. Old Guardsman train newbies under the supervision of the Regiment Command Sergeant Major.

Jimmy Carter's Casket Carried Into National Cathedral | Washington DC​

Joint Chiefs Salute | Joint Service Honor Guards Casket Team​

Joint Service Military Cordon on Steps Salute | Navy Band Washington DC​

3,152 views Jan 9, 2025
Former President Jimmy Carter was brought into the National Cathedral Thursday morning, beginning a state funeral attended by all living former presidents. Joint Service Honor Guard members carried Carter’s casket as a military band played the Christian hymn “Come, Thou Almighty King.” The official state funeral service in Washington on Thursday caps a long farewell that began — and will end — in his hometown of Plains, Georgia. Carter died Dec. 29 at age 100.

There's not much for me to say to this particular arrival ceremony except that Navy Ceremonial Guard cover/caps just keep showing up on the ground. When I was in TOG a hundred years ago we regularly saw Navy Guard caps on the ground and here we are now in the next century (still) seeing Navy Guards being bareheaded yet again.

In all undue fairness ha Washington National Cathedral is at Washington Heights which of course is the highest point in the city. And as does happen up there in the rarified air of Washington the wind on this day was just wicked. We in TOG figured out way back then ha that the Navy Guards would lose their gourds once the wind got to 12 mph and by God on this day the steady (and frigid) wind was three to four times that if not more in gusts. We see the two flag bearers looking like they were going to come down in Kansas. Life in the ceremonial guards seen round the world, yeah.

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President Jimmy Carter's Full Military Honors State Funeral​

Casket Carried Out of the Washington National Cathedral | Joint Service Casket Team​

Organ Music | US Army Chorus | Marine Corps Concert Musicians | Cathedral Choir​

Those who like cathedral organ music and uplifting choir melodies will like this video in particular, while others can take in the exit of the flag draped casket of Jimmy Carter from the Washington National Cathedral as carried by the Joint Service professional expert casket team. The camera meanwhile also shows a number of the dignitaries at the service.

Military personnel seen next to Biden and who wear the big cords on their right shoulder are for Potus/C'nC Biden from the WH Military Office. They lead him around. The Army big cord is gold to match the blue uniform color and the AF lesser but big cord is silver to match the AF shade of blue uniform. We also see a short gal Marine ceremonial guard who seems to be unattached, which is to say no cord. She stands between two Old Guardsmen. Maj.Gen. Bredencamp escorts the next of kin and family out of the Cathedral behind the casket team as he leads the extended family through everything they need to do in the full military honors state funeral that precious few people ever experience in any respect.






Jimmy Carter Final Farewell | Plains Georgia | 21 Gun Salute

Marine Corps Ceremonial Guard Firing Party | Navy Band Taps Bugler

MajGen Bredencamp Present Casket Flags to Next of Kin



We see several flags presented to a representative of each generation of the Carter family: next of kin, offspring of the Carters, grandchildren of the Carters; great grandchildren. Indeed each time the casket moves from one local to another a new flag is placed on it. Family members get one of the flags as indicated. The tradition is that the casket officer in charge receives a flag -- in this instance from Sailors given Carter was Navy -- and touches the flag to the casket at the interment site as a final contact.

After a military funeral in Arlington each ceremonial guard casket team and firing party judges among themselves the quality of the bugler who played taps. I can say this Navy band bugler gets the ultimate compliment of "This bugie brings tears." It's a superb taps masterfully done. Also, FYI, as the flags are presented to the family we can see that over the hedges the Marine firing party from Washington moves off and then a Marine keeps bending over to collect the expended shells which are then presented to the family. This has become SOP for each funeral service in Arlington begun only after I left. It's an excellent enhancement to the military funeral in ANC.

US Naval Academy graduate Jimmy Carter is commissioned as an Ensign in the US Navy by soon to be wife of 77 years Rosslyn and mother Lilian Carter, 1946.


Carter's young life dream was to graduate the Naval Academy given an uncle from Georgia was a Navy admiral. Indeed, Jimmy Carter had aspirations.


US Navy Pilots Perform Missing Man Flyover Honoring Jimmy Carter



**i'm not usually very mushy, but taps, the 21 gun salute, and the missing man flyovers hit me right in the gut. RIP President Carter.

**Annapolis grad, submarine officer. This is how the Navy says goodbye to one of their own. Fly Navy!

**Sir, you stand relieved. We have the watch.

**I don't know why but the missing man formation always get's me. Rest easy sir.

**A fitting tribute to a Naval Academy graduate and President. Fair winds President Carter.

**He's in a better place now. What an extraordinary man.

Military Members Rehearse For Their Part in Presidential Inauguration

The 60th presidential inauguration is less than a week away, and U.S. service members are preparing to play their roles.

Military members from across all branches of the armed forces, including Reserve and National Guard components, will provide ceremonial support and security for the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump on Jan. 20 in Washington.

Rehearsals Sunday included honor guard troops, band members and soldiers from The Old Guard.



U.S. soldiers with the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment The Old Guard, 1st Battalion, The Presidential Salute Battery, an M5 anti-tank cannon for a 21-gun salute during a rehearsal for the 60th Presidential Inauguration in Washington held on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (Danny Gonzalez/Department of Defense)

Space Force Will Play a Role in the 60th Presidential Inauguration​

A Historic First For the Youngest Branch of the Armed Forces​

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Steven E. Vera, non-commissioned officer in charge of technical training for the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard, trains 45 augmentees on marching in preparation for the 60th Presidential Inauguration at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, Jan. 8, 2025. (Jordan Powell/U.S. Air Force)



Space Force guardians will participate fully in the 60th Presidential Inauguration on Jan. 20 in Washington, a significant milestone for the youngest branch of the military which was created during president-elect Donald Trump’s first administration. Forty-five guardians from across the country arrived recently at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling for training to augment the U.S. Space Force Honor Guard and march alongside units during the presidential inauguration: the Air Force Band, U.S. Air Force Academy, active-duty Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserves.


The guardians will go through an intensive 12-day training period, during which they will get instruction to master the fundamentals of serving in an honor guard. They will learn precision movements, military drill procedures and ceremonial protocol. Nearly 8,000 National Guard troops will also be present to provide security support during inauguration day at the U.S. Capitol.


"Augmentee" in this instance means Space Force regular personnel volunteers who are not honor guards shipped in to get some quick down and dirty ceremonial guard training. The 45 Space Force augmentees mentioned will increase the present modest strength of the Space Force Honor Guard Guardians. Indeed, the current understrength SF Honor Guard needs "augmentation" ha to form a marching company in an official and formal ceremonial event, in this instance the 60th Inaugural Parade. Myself I wouldn't want to see this "augmented" group marching down PA AVE in the Inaugural Parade but then again, that would not only be me ha. It should be interesting and I'm confident they'll do, er, fine. This is providing of course the 45 volunteer augmentees are not the customary military volunteers of YOU, YOU AND YOU! This ceremonial stuff is not for those who do not want to be there.






U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Wayne Lufkins, flight instructor for the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard, trains weapon fundamentals to Space Force Honor Guard augmentees in preparation for the 60th Presidential Inauguration at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, Jan. 8, 2025. (Jordan Powell/U.S. Air Force)



In the next post is a photo of one of the several casket teams from the JTF-NCR that includes a casket bearer from the Space Force.

Here is a Space Force Honor Guard Guardian Casket Bearer in the Jimmy Carter full military honors state funeral.


On the right, third in -- or next to last -- is a Space Force Honor Guard Guardian Casket Bearer. Second in at the left is the Air Force Ceremonial Guard Casket Bearer (who is in front of the Coast Guard Ceremonial Guard Casket Bearer).

Each the AF and the SF provided one casket bearer from among its casket bearers platoon. Of the half dozen JTF-NCR casket teams at the various locations of the state funeral in GA and in DC there was a Space Force Honor Guard Casket Bearer on each team.



We see the SF Casket Bearer is a SGT E-5 equivalent in the SF Honor Guard. Space Force enlisted rank insignia have squared corners and parallel or straight lines to indicate the rank and grade of the enlisted personnel. Plus the SF ranks have a rocket image as part of the rank insignia that the AF hasn't ever had.

This is in contrast to the Air Force to include their Ceremonial Guard whose enlisted personnel have wavy and curved rank lines and a star. The hat brass on each is different too, although the view from this angle is deflected. Plus the SF uniform to include the long coat is a deeper or richer blue than the AF uniform blue.

There is no doubt this SF SGT casket bearer volunteered on the invitation given to AF Ceremonial Guards to transfer to the SF and its Honor Guard. Indeed, the SF Honor Guard which started from nothing and no one needed experienced personnel on the ground floor so to speak to get their Honor Guard founded and organized.

So and as indicated in scrolling 16 Air Force honor guards volunteered to make the big transfer to the Space Force to explicitly become the founding members of the SF Honor Guard. They're in like Flint now cause it's their show to run from here on out.

Not a walk in the park for any of those guys. They’ll be under a microscope for sure.
Since it’ll be Inauguration Day I would also imagine that there will be hyper vigilance for any sort of drone threat, swarming in particular.

While I was gathering some present videoing of the traditional inaugural parade and the JTF-NCR units practice marching it along PA AVE Trump announced that the inauguration would occur indoors instead. Indeed, this is because of the miserable temperatures forecast for the day, Monday, that would only have 22 degrees as the day's high.

No one would lose any money on the troops of the JTF rejoicing that they won't have to stand out there in the cold for hours on end during the typically 4 hour parade. This time anyway a good chunk of the 5000 National Guard troops were to form the cordon lined up along the curb on either side of PA AVE during the parade. In a great improvement of this the 60th inaugural, JTF troops would be positioned at the Capitol and on each side of PA AVE at the WH North Front for the pass in review of each parade unit, instead of also lining most of the Avenue.

Now MajGen Bredencamp CG of the JTF-NCR and his joint service staff are figuring how the parade would march through the Capitol One Arena where Trump et al with its 20,000 seats will be after the swearing in. The Trump Inaugural Committee has the huge headache of figuring which 20K ticket holders of the 220,000 ticket holders will be granted admission to the Arena. Rotsa ruck folks.


Rehearsal At Dawn | 60th Inaugural Parade | PA AVE | Washington DC

Ceremonial Marching Companies | Joint Task Force National Capital Region

5000 National Guard From Each State | Military Bands | Old Guard Fife & Drum Corps

738, 896 Views | Premiered Jan 15, 2025



Service members participate in the 60th Presidential Inauguration DoD Dress Rehearsal in Washington, D.C. More than 5,000 military members from across all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, including Reserve and National Guard components, will provide ceremonial support and Defense Support of Civil Authorities during the inaugural period.

The Final Salute: Traditional Commander in Chief Farewell Ceremony | President Biden​

Honor Guard Troops | Joint Task Force National Capital Region | Old Guard Col. Commanding​

Col. Joseph "Bart" Conmy Jr Memorial Hall | Ft. Myer Virginia | Pass In Review​

16,999 Views | Jan 16, 2025​

Outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden attended the traditional commander-in-chief farewell ceremony at Col. Joseph B. Conmy Hall at Ft. Myer Virginia in the Military District of Washington on Thursday. Biden told the joint force ceremonial troops gathered at the event that serving as the commander-in-chief had been "the greatest honor" of his life. During the event, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin presented both Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, with Distinguished Public Service Medals, the highest award given by the Department of Defense. Biden's uniformed military host was Air Force Gen. C.Q. Brown chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

As a reminder of the quadrennial inaugural parade in all its glory here is the Army production of selected highlights of the 2013 Obama inaugural parade that is definitely the best inaugural parade edited video in the bunch. The vid focuses on the Army yet nothing is lost about the nature and spirit of an inaugural parade. I was in Nixon's 1969 Inaugural Parade which was quite the experience.

Inaugural Parade: The U.S. Army Band | Old Guard Fife & Drum Corps | U.S. Army Field Band​

Gen. Washington Commander in Chief Guard | 161,244 Views | Timeless​

The United States Army Band "Pershing's Own," The United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, and The United States Army Field Band are three of the Army's premier musical units. Here is footage as they participate in the 57th Inaugural Celebration in honor of the 44th President Barack H. Obama on Monday, January 21, 2013.

The U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own" and The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps march ahead of the parade as components of what is known as the Presidential Escort (goes down the parade route ahead of the President's entourage and ahead of the parade); The U.S. Army Field Band is the first military band that marches in the parade proper--the first of five great divisions of the official inaugural parade.

First off is the parade commander the Army MajGen CG of the JTF-NCR and his joint service staff of generals and admirals. With swords is the CO of TOG and his joint staff of the CO of each service ceremonial unit. Then the colonel CO of the US Army Band with his staff of officers except for the tall Soldier on our right end who is the Band Sergeant Major.

It's the full complement of the Fife & Drum Corps with the big guy in blue marching alongside the front rank who is Chief Warrant Officer Master of Corps Music while the Drum Major is leader of marching and maneuvering; drill and ceremony. Old Guard Company A of 4th Battalion is the replica of Gen. Washington's Commander in Chief Guard during the War of Independence. Indeed when Gen. Washington was advised he'd have a personal guard he was asked what he wanted in the troops. Washington replied: "Clean shaven, sober and shoot straight." With TOG and its Company A I'd say two out of three ain't bad ha.

The Army Field Band HQ in Washington is the snappy and razzmatazz band of the Army. And looking at 'em in the video I see the same is true now as it was when I was in TOG, which is the inside joke they are all from Ohio. When they retire they'll buy and run a 7-Eleven in the hometown. Yet as the band musicians they are you don't want to go for beers without one. The band plays the Old Guard March because TOG troops love 'em and they luv us back. TOG always passes in review to the Old Guard March.

With the inaugural ceremonies moved indoors to the Capitol Rotunda Hall then to Capital One Arena the inaugural parade has been moved into the Arena for a radically reduced number of units to march through -- in one door, march through the arena and out another door. Then load into your bus right there that you put all your stuff in already and depart for home.

Most of the 5000 NG troops that were to participate in parade security are on their way home while an undisclosed number of 'em remain on security duty.

There are six parade units each one led by a ceremonial guard marching platoon from the JTF-NCR. This dispersal of the JTF marching guards is the opposite of the norm for all JTF parades in which all the ceremonial guards service units march together in Division One.

A different service ceremonial guards marching platoon will lead each of six reduced parade divisions in the Guards usual marching order: Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and for this inaugural parade, the US Merchant Marine Academy marching platoon. Space Force Guards are included in the AF Guards marching platoon. Each of the six parade units has cadet units included in the march. The parade concludes in its tradition of the entire corps of cadets of the Virginia Military Institute marching in review.

As a special note, the 1st Cavalry Division Horse Cavalry Detachment from Ft. Cavazos TX that I included photos of in scrolling will march in this radically reduced inaugural parade.



Workers build a stage in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda in Washington Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, for the 60th Presidential Inauguration which was moved indoors because of cold temperatures expected on Jan 20. (AP Photo/Morry Gash) | Morry Gash/AP



Some presidents have held inauguration events outside despite icy, cold temperatures, like President John F. Kennedy, who took the oath of office in 22-degree weather. Eight inches of snow had dropped unexpectedly the day prior— “paralyzing” the D.C. area, according to the Washington Post. —and the U.S. Army Engineers with troops of the Old Guard regiment worked overtime to clear the snow in time for the ceremony and parade.

A move indoors is very rare for the public ceremony marking the transfer of power. President Reagan’s second inauguration in 1985 was also moved inside the Capitol due to the weather. The temperature that morning fell to a low of negative four degrees, and the temperature was 7 degrees at noon, making it the coldest Inauguration Day on record. Reagan’s parade was canceled.

I got a Congressional ticket to Reagan's first inauguration when the temps were in the mid 50s so that was fine. It was also the first inauguration held at the Capitol West Front which Reagan ordered up because he wanted to face the entire country all the way out to California where he'd been governor for 8 years. I stood to Reagan's left front down below and I thought that a one point he winked at me . Or maybe it was just that the heat got to me standing there.

gman said:

Not a walk in the park for any of those guys. They’ll be under a microscope for sure.
Since it’ll be Inauguration Day I would also imagine that there will be hyper vigilance for any sort of drone threat, swarming in particular.

Click to expand...

And that's an understatement.

60th Inauguration of the President of the United States


Members of the U.S. military Joint Honor Guard march along the North Front of the White House as they assist civil authorities in security duties for the presidential inauguration in Washington, Jan. 12, 2025. (Ben Curtis/AP)

Indoor Ceremonial Guard Review | Potus/C'nC Donald Trump | Joint Task Force -​

National Capital Region | Joint Service Honor Guards | Army Band | Fife & Drum Corps​

Presidential Escort Officer: Maj.Gen Bredencamp CG JTF-NCR | Capitol Visitor Center Hall​

267,286 Views | Jan 20, 2025​

President Donald Trump reviews the troops, marking his first armed forces Presidential Honors Ceremony in his second term as president during Trump's inaugural celebration in Washington, DC. Given the inauguration was moved indoors, to include the inaugural parade, the ceremonial honor guard troops of the JTF-NCR formed up perfectly in the hall space of the Capitol Building Visitors Center. Perfectly though meant reducing each service's guard platoon by a half.

Because Trump moved the ceremony indoors the Old Guard Presidential Salute Battery was unable to fire its required 21 gun salute first thing after the Potus/C'nC takes his oath of office. And there was no passing in review at the WH reviewing platform as is done in the parade. So this alternative was devised by the JTF Command.


The excellent vid opens with the Old Guard Ceremonies Officer who is a Lt.Col. escorting the Potus from the Rotunda to the Hall of the Visitors Center. The LTC talks into his hand ha that it's showtime. The Army Band sounds four ruffles and flourishes for the chief of state and plays Hail To The Chief who is Potus as the Potus and 1st Lady are escorted to the stage. Their escort is one we know from being the escort at the Carter full military honors state funeral, the CG of the JTF-NCR Maj.Gen. Trevor Bredencamp who's a strictly business West Pointer.



Honor Guards of the six services present are left to right or top to bottom, Army, Marines, Navy, Joint Service Color Guard, Air Force, Space Force, Coast Guard from CG Station Alexandria Va at the mouth of the Potomac next to Mt. Vernon. There's the Army Band commanded by its Colonel and the TOG Fife & Drum Corps, detachments thereof in this Hall.







This inauguration is the first ceremony ever for the new marching platoon of the Space Force Guardians Honor Guard as their own unit. These Space Force guards are from the AF Ceremonial Guard who accepted the invitation to transfer over to the SF to create the first SF Honor Guard unit. So the SF Honor Guards had blood all over their nice shiny SF shoes ha, this being their cherry ceremony as the brand new SF Guardians Honor Guard. I see here the AF Guards and the SF Guards have virtually identical uniforms -- except the SF enlisted rank insignia have squared corners and parallel lines plus a rocket image. This is while the AF enlisted rank insignia have wavy lines that are curvy with a star. But the SF position in the formation will always be where it is, ie, after the joint color guard, and between the AF guards and the CG guards. The Navy guards meanwhile get moved up to march in front of the colors given there are now six services, 3 in front of the joint colors and 3 after 'em. Until the SF, the 5 ceremonial services order of marching and in formation was Army, Marines, joint colors, Navy, AF, CG.

As per, TOG Colonel commanding is commander of troops for ceremonies and parades, with his JTF staff of the CO of each service ceremonial guard unit. As Col. Kilbride and Trump leave the review platform we see the Joint Service Staff of the JTF-NCR formed up facing the troops with the AF chief of staff out front. Melania is escorted by a Marine Major from Marine Barracks Washington given Trump is always off doing the Potus/C'nC stuff.

Hegseth was absent from this inaugural military ceremony attended by the new national security advisor, Speaker Johnson and other Trump national security people.