Ceremonies
Color Guard
25th Infantry Division
Assumption of Responsibility ceremony
The U.S. military has a seemingly unending number of traditions or ceremonial aspects to it. Each one often carries with it a larger symbolism for something and at times even the most benign aspects take on a whole new ceremonial direction. The change of command or assumption of responsibility ceremony is one such event. The event basically says someone got a new job. Or, more accurately, someone in a certain rank or certain position got a new job.
Visually speaking, each change of command ceremony is basically the same. It’s just the people and location involved that’s different. Since there are certain, specific moments you need to capture–such as the handing of the unit guidon to the incoming person, which symbolically says they’ve taken over the unit/ the duties of the job–sometimes it’s easy to go on auto-pilot. Even easier since often the ceremony itself is held in a less-than-visually-ideal location.
But, as with most things, it’s all about keeping open to the possibilities of finding something different.
