page_title: United States military bands
section_title: Regalia
hierarchical_section_title: United States military bands / Customs and traditions / Regalia
caption_attribution_description: English: regalia of the USAEUR Band
context_page_description: United States military bands include musical ensembles maintained by the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, United States Navy, United States Air Force, and United States Coast Guard. More broadly, they can also include musical ensembles of other federal and state uniformed services, including the Public Health Service and NOAA Corps, the state defense forces, and the senior military colleges.
  During the colonial period, most British army units posted in the area that would become the United States had bands attached. The first recorded instance of a local American military band was in 1653 in the New Hampshire militia. The oldest extant United States military band is the United States Marine Corps Band, formed in 1798 and known by the moniker "The President's Own". The U.S. armed forces field eleven ensembles and more than 100 smaller, active-duty and reserve bands.
context_section_description: Most U.S. military bands are issued a set of regalia, which typically include a baldric worn by the Drum-Major charged with the distinctive unit insignia of the unit to which the band is assigned and, frequently, other symbols as well such as miniature campaign streamers; a chrome mace carried by the Drum-Major and engraved with the unit's name; and a special mural unique to the unit used to wrap the band's drums.
  In most bands the drum majors often augment their uniforms with bearskin helmets and white leather gauntlets. Others wear the peaked cap instead.
caption: The regalia of the U.S. Army Europe Band, showing (left to right) the baldric, mace, and drum wrap
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