Color guard

In military organizations, the Color Guard (or Colour Guard) refers to a detachment of soldiers assigned to the protection of regimental colors. This duty is so prestigious that the color is generally carried by a young officer (Ensign), while experienced non-commissioned officers (Colour sergeants) are assigned to the protection of the flag. These NCOs, accompanied sometimes by warrant officers (as is the case in several countries), can be ceremonially armed with either sabres or rifles to protect the color. Color guards are generally dismounted, but there are also mounted color guard formations as well.

History

As armies became trained and adopted set formations, each regiment's ability to keep its formation was potentially critical to its, and therefore its army's, success. In the chaos of battle, not least due to the amount of dust and smoke on a battlefield, soldiers needed to be able to determine where their regiment was. Flags and banners have been used by many armies in battle to serve this purpose.

Color guard (flag spinning)

Color guard can be found in most American colleges, universities, high schools, and independent drum corps. Color guard uses props, along with movement, to express dynamic passages in the music accompanying the marching band show. Usually marching bands and color guards perform during football games at halftime, out of tradition. During marching band competitions, the guard adds to the overall score of the band and is also judged in a category usually called auxiliary.

A band would accompany the soldiers to play music to keep their spirits up and to keep them in beat. Along with the band, they also had a soldier holding a flag with their colors on it.

Color guard has evolved into a separate activity known as winter guard, which is an indoor sport where the guard performs unaccompanied by the band, but performing to a piece of pre-recorded music. Winter guards compete independently in such circuits as Winter Guard International (WGI) and Tournament Indoor Association (TIA).