During a battalion change of command ceremony, what are the appropriate commands? Do they change based on rank?

2026-01-04T17:31:43-05:00

Just had a battalion change of command ceremony. My question - when the BN XO starts calling commands, why does he say "commanders, call your companies to attention and present arms" and each captain takes turn executing this command. Why doesn't XO make it easy and say "battalion - attention. Present arms"? Is it different when officers are in front of formations calling and executing commands? And this is my second BN change of command ceremony, the first one the major did the same thing - different unit, too. Thanks for helping me understand why this is done!

Response by COL Randall Cudworth made Jan 4 at 2026 8:51 PM

2026-01-04T20:51:37-05:00

Short answer is it is the same because it is the prescribed method during changes of command and troop reviews.

As to "why", it is rooted in the culture of discipline, honor and lineage that goes back to the historical origins of our modern military when Friedrich Wilhelm Steuben (aka Baron von Steuben) created the "Blue Book"* for the Continental Army.

All the answers about "how" are in Training Circular 3-21-5*, Drill and Ceremonies (pay particular attention to paragraph 10-19).
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* TC 3-21.5 - https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/ARN32297-TC_3-21.5-000-WEB-1.pdf
* Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States by Friedrich Wilhelm Steuben - https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/masterpieces-in-detail/steuben-regulations/

ARN32297-TC_3-21.5-000-WEB-1.pdf

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 4 at 2026 9:36 PM

2026-01-04T21:36:29-05:00

Other than what COL Randall Cudworth, I always personally suspected someone in the past wanted to make the formation suffer by having their arms up in salute for as long as humanly possible. Just wait until you get to experience a Garrison Change of Command....where ALL the tenet units are present.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 5 at 2026 2:45 PM

2026-01-05T14:45:29-05:00

long responce quickly, until the company commanders have reported in and posted as part of the platoon, the XO does not have control over the individual companies.

Response by SP5 Peter Keane made Jan 6 at 2026 4:32 PM

2026-01-06T16:32:01-05:00

I see that you were enlisted prior to commissioning which I presume included BCT. Surely there were company formations where the CC would holler "Company" the Plt Sgts(drills) would holler out "Platoon" and the Sqd Ldrs (LPC's) would holler out " Squad" and the the cappy ton would holler out "Attention" of course this was 50 years ago and BCT might be different now.