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 units, marching bands, color guards, 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.