Reveille - Commonwealth of Nations and The United States

Commonwealth of Nations and The United States

The tune used in the Commonwealth of Nations is different from the one used in the United States, but they are used in analogous ways: to ceremonially start the day.

In modern times, the U.S. military plays (or sounds) "reveille" in the morning, generally near sunrise, though its exact time varies from base to base. On U.S. Army posts, the national flag is raised while reveille is played; on board U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard facilities, the flag is generally raised at 0800 (8 am) while the National Anthem or the bugle call "To the Colors" is played. On some U.S. military bases, reveille is accompanied by a cannon shot. As reveille is played (sounded), all uniformed personnel are required to come to attention and present a salute, either to the flag or in the direction of the music if the flag is not visible.

In Commonwealth Remembrance Day and Remembrance Sunday services, "The Last Post" begins the period of silent reflection, and "Reveille" ends it. The two tunes symbolize sunset and sunrise respectively, and therefore, death and resurrection. ("Reveille" is often replaced by The Rouse, a bugle call commonly mistaken for "Reveille", although these are actually two different tunes.)

"To Reveille" or "to sound Reveille" is often used among military personnel as a term meaning "to notify personnel that it is time to wake up," whether the bugle call is actually sounded or not. Units lacking the personnel or equipment necessary to play the tune will often assign the duty to "sound Reveille" to the last watch of the night, who must ensure that others are roused at the proper time, by any appropriate means (often by actually shouting the word "reveille" until everyone is awake).

Read more about this topic:  Reveille

Famous quotes containing the words united states, commonwealth of, commonwealth, nations, united and/or states:

    Steal away and stay away.
    Don’t join too many gangs. Join few if any.
    Join the United States and join the family
    But not much in between unless a college.
    Robert Frost (1874–1963)

    The commonwealth of Athens is become a forest of beasts.
    William Shakespeare (1564–1616)

    The commonwealth of Athens is become a forest of beasts.
    William Shakespeare (1564–1616)

    Two nations between whom there is no intercourse and no sympathy; who are as ignorant of each other’s habits, thoughts, and feelings, as if they were dwellers in different zones, or inhabitants of different planets.... The rich and the poor.
    Benjamin Disraeli (1804–1881)

    What chiefly distinguishes the daily press of the United States from the press of all other countries is not its lack of truthfulness or even its lack of dignity and honor, for these deficiencies are common to the newspapers everywhere, but its incurable fear of ideas, its constant effort to evade the discussion of fundamentals by translating all issues into a few elemental fears, its incessant reduction of all reflection to mere emotion. It is, in the true sense, never well-informed.
    —H.L. (Henry Lewis)

    I believe the citizens of Marion County and the United States want to have judges who have feelings and who are human beings.
    Paula Lopossa, U.S. judge. As quoted in the New York Times, p. B9 (May 21, 1993)