The United States Navy Ceremonial Guard is the official ceremonial unit of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

. 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 Naval District Washington is one of eleven current naval regions responsible to Commander, Navy Installations Command for the operation and management of Naval shore installations in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area. The Commandant is current ...

Washington Navy Yard The Washington Navy Yard (WNY) is the former shipyard and ordnance plant of the United States Navy in Southeast Washington, D.C. It is the oldest shore establishment of the U.S. Navy. The Yard currently serves as a ceremonial and administrat ...

, Washington D.C. It is currently led by Commander Dave Tickle.

Overview

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.

List of specialized platoons

* Ceremonial Drill Team * Color Guard * Firing Party * Casket Bearer

Requirements

* Recruits must undergo an intensive 10-week training program before they are considered a guardsman. * It is a requirement for a sailors in the ceremonial guard to have a minimum height of 183 centimeters (6 ft 0 in). Officers are required to have a minimum height of 178 centimeters (5 ft 10 in). * Ceremonial Guardsman are required to remain sober while on duty.

Mission

The United States Navy Ceremonial Guard provides along with ceremonial honour guards from the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard and the

U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...

during

State visits to the United States State and official visits to the United States are formal visits by the head of state (state visit) or chief of government (official visit) from one country to the United States, during which the president of the United States acts as official hos ...

at the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...

and

the Pentagon The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense. It was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As a symbol of the U.S. military, the phrase ''The Pentagon'' is often used as a metony ...

, as well as the inaugural parade every four years, and

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Many ...

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 Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

. They also have the Navy ceremonial Guard Drill team that performs all over and outside the U.S.

Navy Ceremonial Duty Ribbon

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. It was established on 12 December 2003 by order of

Secretary of the Navy The secretary of the Navy (or SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department (component organization) within the United States Department of Defense. By law, the se ...

Gordon R. England Gordon Richard England (born September 15, 1937) is an American politician and businessman who was the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense and twice served as the U.S. Secretary of the Navy in the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush. ...

. On 17 January 2012, the name of the Navy Ceremonial Duty Ribbon was changed 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 . Multiple awards of the Navy Ceremonial Duty Ribbon are denoted by bronze

service stars A service star is a miniature bronze or silver five-pointed star inch (4.8 mm) in diameter that is authorized to be worn by members of the eight uniformed services of the United States on medals and ribbons to denote an additional award or ser ...

, while only one award of the ribbon is authorized for each tour of duty.

Uniform

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.

Gallery

File:US Navy 091002-N-3442D-001 Members of the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard stand at parade rest before the start of the retirement ceremony for Rear Adm. Jon W. Bayless Jr. and Rear Adm. Edward .jpg, Enlisted Full Dress Whites worn at a Change of Command Ceremony in 2009. File:ACDS Kevin M. Kimsey plaque 02.jpg, The Kevin M. Kimsey plaque. File:US Navy 080617-N-5549O-264 Sailors assigned to the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard position themselves during a Navy District Washington Concert on the Avenue.jpg, Sailors assigned to the Ceremonial Guard color guard. File:Defense.gov photo essay 120604-N-WL435-019.jpg, Members of the Navy Ceremonial Guard parade the fifty state flags before a wreath-laying ceremony at the Navy Memorial in Washington D.C. File:U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard Drill Team perform during Navy Week Montana. (35799121513).jpg, The Navy Ceremonial Guard Drill Team perform during Navy Week in

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...

References

External links

USN Ceremonial Guard Home Page

Naval Ceremonial Guard – Behind the Scenes

Inside Navy's Ceremonial Guard
{{US Navy navbox United States Navy Ceremonial units of the United States military