Table Of ContentDU
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photobyMasterSgt.FernandoSerna.USAF
PresidentWilliamJeffersonClintonissworn inasthe42nd Presidentofthe UnitedStatesbyTheChiefJusticeoftheSupreme9Courtofth7eUnited States,
The HIonorablenWilliam Ha. Rehnquiust. guration
“I, William Jefferson Clinton, do “Being assigned to AFIC is a rare
solemnly swear ...” combination of opportunities. We are
It took 815 AFIC members weeks of learning about government, history and
18-hour days, “rock drills,” exercises, jointoperations,aswell as receivingvalu-
rehearsals and very little sleep to prepare able formal training in many areas. All
for the 35 words ofthe presidential oath. this, plus the chance to be part of a his-
Formorethanayear,members fromall toric occasion,” said AFIC Deputy
branches of the service prepared for the Chairman Army Brig. Gen. Charles R.
uttering ofthose words and the events to Viale.
follow. Every detail from how many steps According to the Constitution of the
ittakesthe presidenttowalkto the swear- United States, Amendment XX, Section
photobyPettyOfficer3rdClassChrisS Rose.USCG ing-in platform to when to move each 1, “The terms of the President and Vice
Marine Sgt. Heath F. Kuhlmann (left) and Army parade unit was prepared for and President shall end at noon on the 20th
Sgt. Heather Johnsen stand in for the Clintons
during theJan. 12 rehearsal. rehearsed. day of January, ...and the terms of their
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successors shall then begin." Prince George’s County Equestrian
Ifit were only that simple. Center, as well as numerous locations
T
he day before, at 5:30 a.m., on the National Mall and the parade
Marine Cpl. Joseph Battista route.
and an AFIC work detail “Our greatest success is to be so
were busy along Pennsylvania thoroughly trained that if anything
Avenue marking color dots on the happens on Inauguration Day, our
pavement to make sure each of the people can evaluate and take action
1,266 street cordon personnel knew so that nobody ever knows about it,"
where to stand. said J-3 DirectorArmy Col. Frank C.
Throughout the day, teams from J- Hudoba Jr.
4 and J-6 were ensuring
all the trailers that made “Everything at the swearing-in
up the various command
posts and route control ceremony runs off of the time-
points were equipped with
line.”
properly working electric- —
ity and communications. Senior Master Sgt. Timothy Stanton
By 3 a.m. on Jan. 20, J-
6’s Army Sgt. Bobbie J.
Evans and more than 60 AFIC mem- When the sun finally started to
bers arrived at Suitland to pick up peek over the horizon, the Army’s
their gear and box lunches and then Old Guard and the Marine
scatter to their designated positions Ceremonial Unitwere sittingdownto
throughout the Washington D.C., breakfast at Fort Myer. On the oppo-
area. site side of the city. Navy and Air
B
y 4 a.m. J-6’s Marine Sgt. Force units were doing the same at
Gary Johnson was in the AndrewsAir Force Base.
Joint Operations Center Meanwhile, Ceremonies’ Army
ArmedForcesInauguralCommitteephoto
Branch ChiefArmy Lt. Col. Craig F. Benedict works out of performing radio checks to the Chief Warrant Officer Richard
the Ceremonies command postatthe Capitol. Capitol, Pentagon, White House, Vandennolen was at Prince George’s
Equestrian Center in Marylandwhere
horses were loaded onto trailers for
the police escort into the city.
Throughout the twilight hours, 20
radio operators checked communica-
tions along the parade route. J-6 Base
station operator Navy Petty Officer
2nd Class Andre D. Spratley, was
already in the Forward Command
Post filtering information, and Public
Affairs’ Army Sgt. 1st Class Gary A.
Jones was in the Joint Information
BurAeau handling media.
t 10:30 a.m., the street cor-
don marched into position
along the parade route.
Shortly before 1 1 a.m., the president
departed the White House for the
Capitol.
Army Lt. Col. Craig F. Benedict
and Senior Master Sgt. Timothy C.
Stanton established a Ceremonies
Division command post in the House
photobyChiefPettyOfficerSethRossman,USN Ethics Committee’s conference room
Ceremonies DirectorTom Groppel (with backtocamera)discusses proceduresforescortingthe president inside the Capitol. From there they
during the practice session held Jan. 12 on the east side ofthe U.S. Capitol. coordinated, viewedandmadeadjust-
ments on the platfonn, ensuring all
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photobyPettyOfficer3rdClassChrisS.Rose.USCG
Participants and stand-ins run through the swearing-in ceremony atthe Capitol West Frontduring the Jan. 12 rehearsal
theirpreparations made fora flawless cere- and invited guests. Benedict radioed
mony, Stanton said. instructions to the 3rd U.S. Infantry (The
The AFIC coordinated with the Joint Old Guard) cannoneers across the street
Congressional Committee on Inaugural and Army Sgt. Maj. Boyd Sarratt radioed
Ceremonies tocreatea down-to-the-minute the U.S. Marine Band and the Herald
timeline forthe swearing-in ceremony. Trumpets. The hour ofwhat lie ahead had
“Everything at the swearing-in ceremo- to happen without incident and with surgi-
ny ran off of the timeline: who arrives, cal precision.
wheMn they are announced and where they At 12:04 p.m., the president took the
sit,” said Stanton. oath ofoffice to a background ofclicking
inutes before the swearing-in camera shutters from five AFIC Capitol
ceremony, Stantonwastoldthe Hill photographers and hundreds of other
toe cards used to mark where media.
the president and the chiefjustice were to “... so help me God.” Precisely after
stand were moved around by people trying those words were uttered, the cue was
to get pictures taken at the podium. “We given and the cannons boomed the 21-gun
had to go out right before the ceremony salute, right on schedule. It was a signal to
was about to begin and duct tape them to the nation and the world that the United
the floor,” Stanton said, describing how States had successfully completed another
even the most minute details needed to be peaAceful transition ofpower.
taken into account. s President Clinton gave his
As the time inched closer toward the 12 Inaugural Address, Benedict,
o’clock deadline, the 7,168 square foot Stanton and other Ceremonies
platform began to fill up with dignitaries members frantically worked out final photobyAirmanRussCarter,USN
Army Cpt. Marvin Jones, Merge Control
Officer, issues instructionstotroopsduringthe
53rd Presidential Inaugural Parade rehearsal.
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photobyMasterSgt.FernandoSerna,USAF
Marine Lt. Col. Timothy W. Foley conducts the U.S. Marine Band, from Marine Barracks in
Washington, D.C., in a musical prelude beforethe swearing-in ceremony.
preparations for the Presidential Escort’s informed as to where particular units were
Pass and Review and the start of the along the parade route,” Danielowicz said. CoastGpuhaotrodbymiPleitttyarOyffiucserh3errdsClwaasstcChhritshSe.Rsowseea.rUiSnCgG-
InaOugural Parade. It was a hectic day according to in ceremony of President William Jefferson
nce the Congressional luncheon Danielowicz, but the parade went great. It Clinton.
ended, AFIC Chairman Army was an effort he credits to his coworkers.
Maj. Gen. Robert F. Foley “We had a great team,” he said. “I At the intersection of Constitution and
escorted President Clinton, Vice President never worked with so many officers or Pennsylvania avenues and 3rd Street, the
Gore and theirfamilies down the east steps members of the other services. But I five divisions ofthe parade were anxious-
of the Capitol. The U.S. Coast Guard worked with a variety ofreal good people ly waiting to take their places in the
Ceremonial Flonor Guard and other mili- and I really learned a lot.” parade. Months ofanticipation were final-
tary units in the Presidential Escort
marched past, saluting the commander in
chief.
After the Escort rendered honors, the
first and second families entered their lim-
ousines, joining in the parade. As the
motorcade and the Presidential Escort
turned onto Constitution Avenue toward
the White House, float controller Marine
Cpl. Eric Davis and the crowd of thou-
sands knew the Inaugural Parade had
begNun.
avy Airman Dennis
Danielowicz, a clerk in the
Ceremonies Parade Division,
was one of the many personnel along the
parade route. In the parade command post,
Danielowicz spent his time relaying infor-
mation to the numerous parade route con-
trol points.
“I was responsible for relaying infor-
mation on cordon members who fell out,
andpeopleorunitsthatweren’tinplace, as photobyCpl JosephBattista,USMC
well as keeping the differentcontrol points Soldiers ofthe 3rd U.S. Infantry (The Old Guard) set off a 21-gun salute from the north end ofthe
Capitol after PresidentClinton takesthe oath ofoffice.
photobyMasterSgt.FernandoSerna,USAF
More than 1,000 peoplefilled the Capitol West Front stands and seatsduring the swearing-in ceremony.
lyrealizedasthey marchedpast ome AFIC members
S
thousands of cheering specta- managed to end the
tors toward the White House night with a last hur-
and the president ofthe United rah. Many people attended the
States reviewing stand. various Inaugural balls in their
Afterall theunitsmarched in dress uniforms, not wanting to
the Presidential Inaugural miss this opportunity of a life-
Parade and returned to their time.
buses for the ride home. Army They would sleep later.
StaffSgt. Luis Cruz ofJ-4 was
still there, tearing down and Preparing for
packing up furniture and sup-
an Inauguration
plies before he called it a night.
The months ofpreparation and With hundredsoffootlockers
rehearsing had finally come and fdes, some Inaugural veter-
together. The 53rd Presidential ans and a handful of military
Inauguration was an over- and civilian planners, the 1997
whelming success. AFIC joint task force formed
At the AFIC “we always more than a year ago, long
strive for perfection, but occa- before the 35 words ofthe oath
sionally we settle for excel- of office were uttered. The
lence,” said Marine Lt. Col. marching orders: Plan the mili- photobyChiefPettyOfficerSethRossman,USN
Frank Kennedy, Ceremonies The Joint-Service Honor Cordon marches into place on the east steps of
tary support for the 53rd
Parade Division chief. Inauguration. the Capitol.
photobyPettyOfficer3rdClassChrisS.Rose.USCG
Soldiers ofthe Commander-in-Chief’s Guard, 3rd U.S. Infantry, stationed at FortMcNairin Washington,
D.C., dress in historical replicas ofthe uniform ofthe era, carrying 12-pound British “Brown Bess” mus-
ketswith 13-inch bayonets. Gen. GeorgeWashington establishedthe Guard March 10, 1776 as his per-
sonal escortand guard.
Marine Master Sgt. Thomas H. Walke, Division.
the first committee member to sign on, The two visited the location that would
showed up Dec. 30, 1995, at Fort McNair in possibly become the Armed Forces
Washington, D.C. Inaugural Committee home. Walke had
Walke said he had no idea what his duty quite a reaction when he first saw the state
would entail because he of the building which
walked into a job where had been vacant for two
The Operations Plan
literally nothing was in years.
place - including an was a “monster.” “I was like ‘no way,'”
office out of which to said Walke referring to
Maj. Sarah J. Corbett
work. The Operations, all that was necessary to
Plans and Security Di- make the building habit-
rectorate noncommissioned officer-in- able. “Safes were all over the hallways, and
charge spent most of January culling it was tom up everywhere."
through footlockers ofinformation. After the building was renovated by the
When Februaryrolledaround,afew more General Services Administration with the
bright faces showed up to sign aboard. One help of reserve Navy Seabees from Fort
ofthose was Army Capt. Robin Carrow, the Belvoir, Va., the build-up ofthe AFIC final-
plans officer for the J-3 Operations ly began.
Once the offices were ready in April,
The Presidential Color Team marches past
President Clinton, his family and AFIC Chairman about 30 peoplemoved from FortMcNairto
ArmedForcesInauguralCommitteephoto Maj. Gen. Robert F Foley. the Suitland, Md., headquarters.
photobyChiefPettyOfficerSethRossman.USN
AFIC Chairman Maj. Gen. RobertF. Foleyescorts PresidentClinton, Vice PresidentGore and theirfamiliesdown thestepsof
the Capitol.
“In May and June, through July, we as representatives fortheir directorates,
inprocessed the core staff- the people Corbett and Navy Lt. Gina Roberts, the
who had a permanent change of sta- Logistics Supply and Services Division
tion,” said Army Master Sgt. Victor A. assistant chief, worked as liaisons
Palmer, the Personnel Directorate non- between the review and typing groups
comAmissioned officer-in-charge. to ensure work flowed smoothly.
t the same time the core staff While most committee members
was inprocessing, a few key were methodically learning their jobs,
people, burning many mid- Corbett said members on the two
night oils, produced the Operations groups worked 24- and 40-hour shifts.
Plan - a “monster” according to Air “It was a very painful process to get
Force Maj. Sarah J. Corbett, the where we got,” said Air Force Lt. Col.
Ceremonies Directorate communica- R. Gayle Fults, who not only served on
tions coordinator. the review group, but also as the final
This 1,600-page document would review administrator. “I can’t compare
carry the planners through the fall and it to anything else I’ve ever done
winter, as it explained and provided because I’ve never been involved in
guidance for the events of Jan. 20 in anything so enormous from beginning
intricate detail. to end. ... In spite ofhow massive it is,
The first indication Corbett had that it isGa very good product.”
the OPLAN wouldbea lotofworkwas unnery Sgt. Teressa B.
that the OPLAN from the last Wooten from the J-3 Plans photobyChiefPettyOfficerSethRossman,USN
Inauguration was “ratherthick.” Division agreed the result The Capitol Flonor Cordon awaits the departure of
Two work groups, a review was very helpful. “I read the OPLAN PInraeusgiudreanttioBni.ll Clinton from the Capitol steps after his
group and a typing group, when I got here and was able to under-
formed in mid-June to com- stand the operation.”
plete the first OPLAN draft by July 1 She added it was easy to understand
and the second a couple weeks later. In and very detailed, right down to “make
addition to sitting on the review group a left at this comer.”
The
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The military componentofthe Presidential Escort, lead byAFIC Chairman Maj. Gen. Robert F. Foley, marches along PennsylvaniaAvenue on theway to the
The53rd Presidential 1)uc
ning at3rd Streetand iisr
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ArmedForcesInauguralCommitteephoto
As partofthe Presidential Escort, the Fife and Drum Corps, 3rd U.S. Infantry (The Old Guard), broughtthe pastto lifefor parade
viewers.
ArmedForcesInauguralCommitteeillustration
i ral Paraderouteranalong PennsylvaniaAvenue, begin-
ang at 17th Street.
ArmedForcesInauguralCommitteephoto
Membersofthe U.S.Army Band (Pershing’s Own) prepareto march in the Presidential Escortbefore
a crowd ofthousands.
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Women
Men,
1,266 Military
Form Street Cordon Two by Two
byCpl.JosephBattista,USMC
Onelittle, two little,three little Marines; fourlit-
tle, fivelittle, six littleairmen; seven little, eight lit-
tle,nine littlesailors; tenlittlecordon soldiers ... as
well as a Coast Guardsman or two.
About 1.6 miles ofblacktop were lined bythese
brave souls who volunteered to stand in the cold
forhours to honorthe 42nd president ofthe United
States.
Exactly 1,266 service members lined
ConstitutionAvenueandPennsylvaniaAvenueJan.
20, to form the Presidential Inaugural Parade’s
StreetCordon, accordingtoArmy Lt. Col. Edouard
Peloquin Jr., Ceremonies operations officer.
The street cordon consisted ofservice members
standing on both sides of Constitution and
Pennsylvania avenues 10 meters apart along the
entire parade route.
Both ends of the parade route, Pennsylvania
Avenue in front of the White House and
Constitution Avenue on the north side of the
Capitol,were linedbyagrouprepresentingthe five
military services. In between, each service covered
an equal portion ofthe parade route.
Lance Cpl. Sam Carodine, an audit clerk for B
Company, Headquarters Battalion, Headquarters
Marine Corps, in Arlington, Va., was one ofthose
to salute the president during the Inaugural Parade.
“I volunteered,” said Carodine, “because it was
an opportunity to see part ofthe Inauguration and
be involved in something veryAmerican.”
photobyPettyOfficer3rdClassThomasM.Smith
Members of the Joint Street Cordon march into position
on Pennsylvania Avenue during the 1997 Presidential
rehearsal.
photobySgt.TonyaK.Townsell.USA
AirForce StaffSgt. Brian McLendon, a communicationstechnician atAndrewsAir
Force Base, Md., served as one of over 1,250 members of the military Street
Cordon.
