The Summerall Guards

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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 was founded in 1932 and remains The Citadel's silent drill platoon. The Guards have amazed audiences for more than seventy years with their unique combination of Prussian high-step and German close-order drill. 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. Guards tradition states that the "series" has never been written down and has remained virtually unchanged since 1932.

Each year, aspiring 2nd class cadets (junior class) volunteer for a three-week training and evaluation process beginning at the end of January. The training for these "Bond Volunteer Aspirants" involves rigorous stationary PT and running with an M14. 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 training process there is a final “cuts” day where the aspirants are graded on their drill and for each mistake a “cut” is assigned. The 61 cadets with the lowest cuts are chosen to become the new Summerall Guards, with 51 "regulars" composing the marching platoon and 10 "alternates" kept in reserve to fill in as needed.

The new Guards are then shown the series and practices diligently up until 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 officially take the title of Summerall Guards.

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.

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 in 1953, Ronald Reagan 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.