The Summerall Guards
Encyclopedia
Unit History and Background
Named after General Charles P. Summerall, former Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army and Citadel president from 1931 until 1953, The Summerall Guards were founded in 1932 and remains The Citadel'sThe Citadel (military college)
The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, also known simply as The Citadel, is a state-supported, comprehensive college located in Charleston, South Carolina, USA. It is one of the six senior military colleges in the United States...
elite, silent drill platoon
Drill team
A drill team can be one of four different entities:# A Military Drill Team is marching unit that performs routines based on military drill. Military drill teams perform either armed or unarmed....
.
The Guards have amazed audiences for more than seventy years with their unique combination of Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n high-step and German close-order drill
Wachbataillon
The Wachbataillon is the German Bundeswehr's elite drill unit. The Wachbataillon is the largest battalion of the German forces with about 1,800 soldiers, split in two garrisons in Berlin and Siegburg...
. This drill, known as the "Citadel Series", is passed down from class to class in a highly competitive and vigorous selection process from which only the most committed individuals emerge as the succeeding year's Guards. Summerall Guard tradition states that "The Series" has never been written down and has remained virtually unchanged since 1932. Becoming a member of the Guards is considered one of the highest achievements a cadet can achieve at The Citadel
The Citadel
-Places:*The Citadel , a 201 m skyscraper in the United Arab Emirates*The Citadel , the old fortified city of Gozo, Malta*The Citadel , a shopping mall in Colorado*The Citadel , a diving spot in Martinique...
.
The unit has performed nationally at Disney World, the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C., Mardi Gras in New Orleans and St. Patrick's Day in Savannah, Ga.
The Guards have been disbanded several times in its history including the mid 1940's due to WWII and most recently, in 1998, due to administrative changes to the Bond Volunteer training.
In 2005, the Summerall Guards made their fourth appearance at a presidential inaugural parade. The Guards also participated in the inaugurations of Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
in 1953, Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
in 1985 and George H.W. Bush in 1989.
The Guards also frequently perform on the campus grounds and can be seen free of charge by the public during major events.
Summerall Guard Leadership
Members who hold leadership positions within the Guards, depending on their position, are determined by both the Guards themselves and the Citadel's administration - by a meeting mirroring a standard military promotion board. Leadership positions are open to any member of the unit, but usually only Guards who both exhibit strong leadership qualities and excelled during BVA Training are nominated by their peers.The Commander and First Sergeant are the only two positions nominated by the Guards to attend the boards held by The Citadel's administration. Usually the Guards nominate at least two of their peers to fill each slot. However, the final say lies with the administration.
Commander
- Holds the overall responsibility for leading the platoon. He plans, along with guidance from the First SergeantFirst SergeantFirst sergeant is the name of a military rank used in many countries, typically a senior non-commissioned officer.-Singapore:First Sergeant is a Specialist in the Singapore Armed Forces. First Sergeants are the most senior of the junior Specialists, ranking above Second Sergeants, and below Staff...
, performance dates, practice dates and times, and BVA Training. He is also the liaison between the platoon and The Citadel's administration. The Commander leads the Cuts Run during each day of BVA Training and is responsible for determining the desired run distance, pace and targeted attrition rate. - The Commander fills the role commonly held by a platoon leaderPlatoon leaderA platoon leader or platoon commander is the officer in command of a platoon. This person is usually a junior officer — a second or first lieutenant, or an equivalent rank. The officer is usually assisted by a platoon sergeant...
in the United States ArmyUnited States ArmyThe United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
or platoon commander in the United States Marine CorpsUnited States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
. - He wears no cross webbing or cartridge box on his dress uniformDress uniformDress uniform , is the most formal military uniform, typically worn at ceremonies, official receptions, and other special occasions; with order insignias and full size medals...
. He wears an officer's maroon sashSashA sash is a cloth belt used to hold a robe together, and is usually tied about the waist. The Japanese equivalent of a sash, obi, serves to hold a kimono or yukata together. Decorative sashes may pass from the shoulder to the hip rather than around the waist...
and feather plume in his shakoShakoA shako is a tall, cylindrical military cap, usually with a peak or visor and sometimes tapered at the top...
. He is the only Summerall Guard who carries a small swordSmall swordThe small sword or smallsword is a light one-handed sword designed for thrusting which evolved out of the longer and heavier rapier of the late Renaissance. The height of the small sword's popularity was between mid 17th and late 18th century...
during the performance of The Citadel Series. This is done to distinguish himself as the unit's leader.
First Sergeant
- Is tasked with enforcing all standards and tasks given out by the Summerall Guard Commander. The First SergeantFirst SergeantFirst sergeant is the name of a military rank used in many countries, typically a senior non-commissioned officer.-Singapore:First Sergeant is a Specialist in the Singapore Armed Forces. First Sergeants are the most senior of the junior Specialists, ranking above Second Sergeants, and below Staff...
ensures that discipline is achieved during practice and all deadlines are met by the unit. He is the Commander's second in command and is prepared to assume command in his absence. - Falls into the formation during performances and wears the standard dress uniform.
Supply Sergeant
- Handles all logistical matters within the platoon. He is responsible for the issuing of rifles and any other required equipment to members of the unit. The Supply Sergeant also coordinates with the school administration to secure lodging and travel arrangements when the Guards must travel to conduct performances. He also has the additional duty of ordering uniforms items for the unit.
- Falls into the formation during performances and wears the standard dress uniform.
Front Guide
- The Front Guide is responsible for directing the platoon's forward movement during performances and especially during marching parades. He is responsible for setting the unit's signature slow, high-step pace and is one of the tallest members of the platoon.
- He wears no cross webbing or cartridge box on his dress uniformDress uniformDress uniform , is the most formal military uniform, typically worn at ceremonies, official receptions, and other special occasions; with order insignias and full size medals...
. He wears an officer's maroon sashSashA sash is a cloth belt used to hold a robe together, and is usually tied about the waist. The Japanese equivalent of a sash, obi, serves to hold a kimono or yukata together. Decorative sashes may pass from the shoulder to the hip rather than around the waist...
and feather plume in his shakoShakoA shako is a tall, cylindrical military cap, usually with a peak or visor and sometimes tapered at the top...
.
Rear Guide
- The Rear Guide is the Front Guide's counter-part and mirrors all of his movements during a performance. He is responsible for directing the platoon's movement during certain segments of The Citadel Series and is usually one of the shortest members of the platoon.
- He wears no cross webbing or cartridge box on his dress uniformDress uniformDress uniform , is the most formal military uniform, typically worn at ceremonies, official receptions, and other special occasions; with order insignias and full size medals...
. He wears an officer's maroon sash and feather plume in his shakoShakoA shako is a tall, cylindrical military cap, usually with a peak or visor and sometimes tapered at the top...
.
Bond Volunteer Aspirant (BVA) Training
- Each year, aspiring 2nd class cadets (Junior class) volunteer for training and evaluation process this starts parents weekend and goes till corps day at the citadel, known as Bond Volunteer Aspirant (BVA) training. This annual training is considered the highlight of each Summerall Guard's tenure in the unit. It is their chance to choose the cadets that will replace their positions within the platoon and subsequently carry on the tradition to the next year. BVA training takes part in three distinct phases:
First Phase
- The first phase of training begins immediately following the Summerall Guard performance each Parent's Weekend in the Fall, usually early October. It is then that the pursuing Junior class cadets don the title of BVA. This phase is often compared to going through the Knob year, 4th class cadet, experience all over again. Aspirants must maintain a higher standard of personal appearance, most notably a high and tightHigh and tightThe high and tight is a military variant of the buzz cut. It is a very short hairstyle most commonly worn by men in the armed forces of most countries. Due to the functionality of this hairstyle, it is also popular with law enforcement officers and other public safety personnel...
style haircut. Formations are held without notice, weekly, and sometimes bi-weekly, to ensure the aspirants are maintaining the prescribed standards. These formations are used as a tool, by the current Summerall Guards, to gauge the commitment of their aspiring replacements. Aspirants are also required to memorize all the current Summerall Guards and their achieved feats during training. First phase includes a minimum of four PT days that introduce the BVA's bodies to the level of physical fitness and mental toughness required to pass the upcoming second portion of training.
Second Phase
- The second phase of training begins on the first day of classes each Spring semester. It involves hours of rigorous stationary exercises and running with an M14M14 rifleThe M14 rifle, formally the United States Rifle, 7.62 mm, M14, is an American selective fire automatic rifle firing 7.62x51mm NATO ammunition. It was the standard issue U.S. rifle from 1959 to 1970. The M14 was used for U.S...
rifle. Each training day starts promptly at 1500 (3:00 PM) and continues after dusk. Each day of stationary PT ends with a formation "Cuts Run". The BVA's secure their rifles and fall into a large formation by height, tallest to shortest. Each run is led by the Summerall Guard Commander; he has the responsibility of setting both the pace and distance of the run, which varies daily. The shortest runs last only a few miles; while some may last over ten miles and take hours to complete. BVA's are not allowed to know any details about the Cuts Run each day, all they know is that it will take place. The unit's First SergeantFirst SergeantFirst sergeant is the name of a military rank used in many countries, typically a senior non-commissioned officer.-Singapore:First Sergeant is a Specialist in the Singapore Armed Forces. First Sergeants are the most senior of the junior Specialists, ranking above Second Sergeants, and below Staff...
maintains the run's cadence rhythm by blowing a whistle on the left side of the formation. Each pair of whistle blasts must be echoed by a pair of staccato-like slaps from each BVA as he slaps the stock of his rifle with the left hand. Any aspirant who falls out of the formation, or fails to maintain the "rifle smack" cadence, is pulled from the run and given a cut for that day's training.
- Perfection of the drill is also stressed and much time is spent by the aspirants outside of the designated times perfecting the drill. At the end of the second phase there is a final “Cuts Day" where the aspirants are graded on their drill proficiency and for each mistake a cut is assigned. Each BVA squad is moved from one station to another where they are instructed to complete different version of The Series. A total of eight Guard graders are assigned to each station, one for each member of the squad, to assign cuts for any mistakes made. When a squad has completed their last station on Cuts Day their time in the second phase ends. Each aspirant's total number of cuts, from both Cuts Runs and Cuts Day, are tallied by the Guard leadership at the conclusion of Cuts Day.
- The following day a roll call formation is held and the sixty-one BVA's with the lowest cuts are chosen to become the new Summerall Guards. Fifty-one "Regulars" composing the marching platoon and ten "Alternates" kept in reserve to fill in as needed. The remaining cadets who are not selected are known as "Bond Volunteers", or BV's, named after a former president of The Citadel, Colonel Oliver Bond. They do not take part in any performances or training. However, if a Summerall Guard graduates early or is dismissed from the unit for whatever reason, a BV may be "bumped up" into the platoon and given the title of Summerall Guard; thus, maintaining the infamous sixty-one member head count.
- This day also includes the much anticipated Feats Day. All sixty-one BVA's who made the cut are invited to attend Feats Day and try out for any one feat of their choosing. This day is known for its relaxed military atmosphere. The feats center around competitions of physical prowess and strength. They range from wrestling matches, various runs and other competitions among the selected BVA's. Guards holding the old feats titles administer the competitions and regulate awarding of feats to the deserving aspirants.
Third Phase
- The third phase centers around the new platoon's constant practice of The Citadel Series in anticipation of their debut performance on the Citadel’s Corps Day Weekend. Corps Day Weekend usually occurs in early March. It is at this time that there is a ceremonial passing of rifles and the new members of the unit officially take the title of Summerall Guards. After the old Guards hand over their rifles, and officially end training, the new Summerall Guards perform for the first time in public. After the performance, the new Guards are given their distinctive blue Summerall Guard [field jacket] patch by an old Guard who took care in ensuring their success during training.