Today was my last day on the colors detail for March. The Navy Detachment here at DINFOS gets to be the color guard once every five weeks, split with the other services.
It was pretty cold this morning, but I didn’t mind. I enjoy being part of colors because it reminds me of my commitment to the Navy and the United States.
We go downstairs at 0545 in the morning, and then wait for the base duty van to pick us up. Then it’s over to the headquarters building, where we wait until 0625. The detail clambers out of the fan, forming two equal ranks in front of the flag... Forward, March. Detail, Halt... Halyards, POST.
They unfasten the line from the cleat, and look up in the dark to make sure the lines aren’t tangled. Then the detail leader unfolds the flag and passes it down the ranks, and we clip it only the line, hoisting it up so it’s unfolded and ready to go.
At 0630, the music starts to play, the cannonade in front of the flagstaff fires, and the halyards quickly raise the ensign to the top of the staff, finishing before the music does. As the cannonade fires and the ensign is pulled up and ot of our hands, we turn to face it and salute, holding the salute until after the music stops.
Sometimes the Army is out on the parade field doing morning PT, and they all form into ranks to salute the ensign as it is raised.
It’s quite a bit different than how we do it in the Navy, but it’s the same flag, and we’re performing our missions for the same goals. No matter which branch on the military, we're all here at DINFOS learning the same stuff for the same reasons.
I’m glad to be a part of it, and I look forward to next time.
