Color guard

Typically, a small number of soldiers (4 is common) charged with protecting the flag and performing flag raising and lowering ceremonies. Flag raising and lowering ceremonies normally require two people to handle the flag. Thus, the color guard usually has extra members who can guard the flag while the primary two members are busy handling it.

Also, a color guard is a non-musical section of a marching band. Originally, a military color guard often travelled with the band, which would presumably be playing a patriotic song of some sort. This use continued into the civilian marching bands; and, today, a marching band color guard will normally carry flags, banners, or mock rifles much as a military color guard does. Marching band color guards, however, can grow very large, often rivalling the number of musicians in the band.