Joint Task Force - Armed Forces Inaugural Committee Joint Task Force - National Capital Region The 57th Presidential Inauguration will be conducted in Washington , DC Jan . 21 , 2013 , in accordance with the Constitution of the United States of America and concurrent resolution of the 112th Congress , with three to five hundred thousand spectators expected to attend the ceremony on the national mall . In addition to the official events on Jan . 21 , other inaugural ceremonies and events will be held throughout the Inaugural Period Jan . 15 - 24 , 2013 . Department of Defense is expected to provide support for these events in accordance with Secretary of Defense approved DoD ceremonial support guidelines published . Commander United States Northern Command has tasked Joint Task Force - National Capital Region ( JTF - NCR ) to plan , coordinate and execute DoD approved support , as well as conduct liaison and coordination with the Presidential Inaugural Committee and the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies . Immediately following the general election , the President - elect will appoint the PIC to plan , coordinate and host numerous celebrations and special events associated with the Presidential Inauguration . The JCCIC , a bicameral committee , is responsible for conducting the swearing - in ceremony for the President - elect and Vice President - elect at the Capitol . Both of these committees historically request various forms of ceremonial support from DoD . JTF - NCR will participate in all inter - agency planning and conduct planning with all our joint partners in the NCR . Additionally , JTF - NCR will be expected to provide world class ceremonial support for the Presidential Inauguration and the related official ceremonies and events throughout the inaugural period , continuing the tradition of military participation in the Presidential Inauguration of the commander in chief tracing back to the Inauguration of George Washington in 1789 . AFIC Prior to the 57th Presidential Inauguration , the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee ( AFIC ) coordinated the United States Armed Forces participation in the ten - day period of U . S . Presidential Inauguration Day ceremonies . That traditionally includes musical military unit s , marching band s , color guard s , ushers , firing details , and salute batteries . AFIC also provides a " very limited amount of approved logistical support . " The military has participated in inaugural day ceremonies since President Washington . Since the first inauguration of Dwight D . Eisenhower in 1953 , that participation has been formalized into a committee , originally called the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee . AFIC was a temporary joint military command established every four years at the direction of the Secretary of Defense . For what became the second inauguration of George W . Bush , the committee was established in February 2004 . Between then and Inauguration Day itself , the organization grew to about 400 people by December and over 700 people in January 2005 . The ten - day period of the ceremonies marking the second inauguration of Richard Nixon in 1973 were marred by the passing of his predecessor , Lyndon B . Johnson , just two days into Nixon ' s second term . The remainder of the ceremonies were cancelled , as the military would have to deal with the state funeral for the nation ' s 36th president . Because of the inauguration , all the military men who participated in the inauguration participated in the state funeral .