Precedence of Forces in Parades
General Order No. 47 established the Precedence of Forces in Parades on 13 May 1935. The order of precedence in a parade of military and naval forces is:
Cadets, United States Military Academy
Midshipmen, United States Naval Academy
Cadets, United States Coast Guard
Regular Army
United States Marines
United States Navy
United States Coast Guard
National Guard organizations that have been federally recognized
Marine Corps Reserve
Naval Reserve
Other organizations of the Organized Reserves, National Guard, Naval Militia, Reserve Officers Training Corps, and other training units in the order prescribed by the grand marshal of the parade
Veterans and patriotic organizations in the order prescribed by the grand marshal of the parade
A joint-service color guard also reflects this order of precedence.
Although the Navy’s birthday is 13 October 1775, a loss of appropriations in 1785 temporarily ended the service’s existence until it was reestablished with the Naval Act of 1794. Because of this timeline lapse, the U.S. Marine Corps’ birthday on 10 November 1775 gives the Marines precedence in parades and joint-service color guards.
Additional Resources
Precedence of the U.S. Navy and the Marine Corps
Establishment of the Navy, 13 October 1775
The Reestablishment of the Navy, 1787-1801: Historical Overview and Select Bibliography
Precedence of Forces in Parades
Precedence of the Naval Reserve in Parades
Selected Imagery (click image to download)
