Joint Task Force-Armed Forces Inaugural Committee
Encyclopedia
The Armed Forces Inaugural Committee (AFIC) coordinates the United States Armed Forces
participation in the ten-day period of U.S. Presidential Inauguration Day ceremonies. That traditionally includes musical military units, 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 is 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.
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
participation in the ten-day period of U.S. Presidential Inauguration Day ceremonies. That traditionally includes musical military units, marching band
Marching band
Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
s, color guard
Color guard
In the military of the United States and other militaries, the color guard carries the National Color and other flags appropriate to its position in the chain of command. Typically these include a unit flag and a departmental flag...
s, ushers, firing details, and salute batteries
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
. AFIC also provides a "very limited amount of approved logistical
Logistics
Logistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
support."
The military has participated in inaugural day ceremonies since President Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
. Since the first inauguration of Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
in 1953, that participation has been formalized into a committee, originally called the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee.
AFIC is a temporary joint military command established every four years at the direction of the Secretary of Defense
United States Secretary of Defense
The Secretary of Defense is the head and chief executive officer of the Department of Defense of the United States of America. This position corresponds to what is generally known as a Defense Minister in other countries...
. For what became the second inauguration of George W. Bush
George W. Bush's second term as President of the United States
George W. Bush's second term as President of the United States began at noon on January 20, 2005 and expired with the swearing-in of the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, at noon, Washington, D.C...
, 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
Second inauguration of Richard Nixon
The second inauguration of Richard Nixon as the 37th President of the United States was held on January 20, 1973. The inauguration marked the commencement of the second term of Richard Nixon as President and the second term of Spiro Agnew as Vice President. Chief Justice Warren E...
in 1973 were marred by the passing of his predecessor, Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
, 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
State funerals in the United States
State funerals in the United States are public funerals held in the nation's capital, Washington, D.C. that are offered to a sitting or ex-President of the United States, a President-elect, as well as other people designated by the President...
for the nation's 36th president. Because of the inauguration, all the military men who participated in the inauguration participated in the state funeral.
External links
- Military District of WashingtonMilitary District of WashingtonThe United States Army Military District of Washington is one of nineteen major commands of the United States Army. Its headquarters are located at Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, D.C...
- ... protecting Bush on Inauguration Day, a December 2004 article about the JTF-AFIC from the St. Louis Post-DispatchSt. Louis Post-DispatchThe St. Louis Post-Dispatch is the major city-wide newspaper in St. Louis, Missouri. Although written to serve Greater St. Louis, the Post-Dispatch is one of the largest newspapers in the Midwestern United States, and is available and read as far west as Kansas City, Missouri, as far south as...