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AgendaGovernment & councilsCeremonies

Change of command ceremony

60 minutes 12 blockspro Runs with Pro

The full change of command sequence as a timed run sheet, with narrator lines in the notes, from the official party's arrival to the passing of the colors.

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Free to open and edit. Running it live needs Pro, free for 14 days on every new account.

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60 min · 12 blocks, drawn to scale Fits exactly
  1. Prelude: guests seated, troops in position, 15 minutesInfo 15
  2. Arrival of the official party, 3 minutes 3
  3. Honors and the national anthem, 3 minutes 3
  4. Invocation, 2 minutes 2
  5. Inspection of troops, 7 minutes 7
  6. Passing of the colors, 3 minutes 3
  7. Remarks by the reviewing officer, 6 minutes 6
  8. Remarks by the outgoing commander, 7 minutes 7
  9. Remarks by the incoming commander, 4 minutes 4
  10. Unit and service songs, 4 minutes 4
  11. Benediction, 2 minutes 2
  12. Departure of the official party; reception announcement, 4 minutes 4
015304560 min
  1. +0′Prelude: guests seated, troops in positionTip: Ushers seat distinguished guests and families in reserved rows. Hand out the program. Narrator: "Ladies and gentlemen, the ceremony will begin in five minutes. Please silence your phones."15 minInfo
  2. +15′Arrival of the official partyTip: Narrator: "Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the arrival of the official party." The official party is the reviewing officer and the outgoing and incoming commanders.3 minInfo
  3. +18′Honors and the national anthemTip: Honors for a general or flag officer come first, if the reviewing officer's rank calls for them. Narrator: "Please remain standing for the national anthem."3 minInfo
  4. +21′InvocationTip: Given by the chaplain. Some units use a moment of reflection instead. Narrator: "Please be seated." after it ends.2 minInfo
  5. +23′Inspection of troopsTip: The reviewing officer and both commanders troop the line. The narrator can fill this time with the unit's history and the outgoing commander's tour.7 minInfo
  6. +30′Passing of the colorsTip: The senior enlisted leader passes the colors to the outgoing commander, who passes them to the reviewing officer, who passes them to the incoming commander, who returns them to the senior enlisted leader. Narrator explains each pass as it happens.3 minInfo
  7. +33′Remarks by the reviewing officer6 minInfo
  8. +39′Remarks by the outgoing commanderTip: Thanks to the unit, families and partners. Ask the speaker for a timed rehearsal; this is the slot that most often overruns.7 minInfo
  9. +46′Remarks by the incoming commanderTip: By tradition these are short.4 minInfo
  10. +50′Unit and service songsTip: Narrator: "Please rise for the singing of the unit song, followed by the service song."4 minInfo
  11. +54′Benediction2 minInfo
  12. +56′Departure of the official party; reception announcementTip: Narrator: "Ladies and gentlemen, please remain standing for the departure of the official party. You are invited to a reception at…"4 minWrap-up

In short

A change of command ceremony formally transfers authority over a unit from one commander to another in front of the troops, families and guests. This 60-minute run sheet times every segment, from the official party's arrival to the passing of the colors and the remarks, with the narrator's script in the notes.
Time
60 minutes
Segments
12, with narrator lines
For
Military units, cadets, uniformed services
Plan
Pro

Updated October 4, 2026

What's inside

By the end of this meeting, command passes formally from the outgoing to the incoming commander, with honors, remarks and guests seated and informed throughout. The full agenda is drawn to scale above: every block has its own timer when you run it live.

How to run it

  1. 1Use the agenda as the run sheet at the rehearsal and on the day; the notes hold the narrator's lines.
  2. 2Print the program from the same order: official party, sequence of events, biographies of both commanders and the reception details.
  3. 3Rehearse the passing of the colors and the timing of every remark with the timers running.
  4. 4Adapt the sequence to your service: in the Navy, the commanders read their orders and the incoming officer says "I relieve you," answered with "I stand relieved."
  5. 5Give the narrator the agenda on a phone or tablet so the next cue is always on screen.

Questions people ask

What is the order of a change of command ceremony?
Arrival of the official party, honors and the national anthem, invocation, inspection of troops, passing of the colors, remarks by the reviewing officer and both commanders, songs, benediction and departure of the official party. Units adapt it to their service's customs.
What does the passing of the colors mean?
The colors represent the unit. Passing them from the outgoing commander through the senior commander to the incoming commander shows that authority has changed hands.
What goes in a change of command program?
The sequence of events, the official party, biographies of the outgoing and incoming commanders, the unit's history and insignia, and reception details.
How long is a change of command ceremony?
Usually 45 to 60 minutes. The remarks are the part that runs long, so time them at the rehearsal.

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  • A timer for every block on the shared screen
  • Results, decisions and actions in the summary
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