The United States Marine Drum & Bugle Corps travels more than 50,000 miles (80,000 km) annually, performing over 400 events worldwide.

The sound of various drum beats and bugle calls that could be heard over the noise of the battlefield signaled Marines to attack the enemy or retreat.

Through the 1930s, Marine Corps posts still authorized several buglers and drummers to play the traditional calls and to ring a ship's bell to signal the time.

History of the Commanding and Executive Officers: Chris G. Stergiou (1949 - 1969) Gary L. Losey (1957 - 1973) Truman W. Crawford (1973 - 1998) Melvin B. Estes (1984 - 1989) David C. Wolfe (1988 - 1994) Brent A. Harrison (1995 - 2009) Brian J. Dix (1999 - 2015) Christopher E. Hall (2010 - 2017) James D. Foley (2015 - 2021) Nate Morris (2018 - Release) Courtney Lawrence (2019 - Release) Patrick Montgomery (2023 - Release) History of the Drum Majors: Chris G. Stergiou (1934 - 1960) William O. Nickoff (1953 - 1957) Eugene S. Belschner (1957 - 1967) Gary L. Losey (1961 - 1969) Dennis E. Carroll (1969 - 1972 Rolland L. Henderson (1972 - 1975) Eric F. Bay (1975 - 1978) Michael J. Patri (1978 - 1983) Gary A. Petersen (1983 - 1989) James L. Marcil (1984 - 1989) Michael H. Gardner (1988 - 1997) James P. O'Keefe Jr. (1995 - 2000) Mark S. Miller (2000 - 2009) Kevin D. Buckles (2002 - 2019) Keith G. Martinez (2010 - 2022) Joshua D. Dannemiller (2018 - Release) David J. Cox (2021 - Release) "The Commandant's Own" The United States Marine Drum & Bugle Corps, the only such formation within the Armed Forces today, was formed in September 1934 at historic Marine Barracks Washington to augment the United States Marine Band where the unit provided musical support to ceremonies around the nation's capital.

In 1968, Truman Crawford, formerly of the United States Air Force Drum and Bugle Corps, became a musical arranger and instructor for The Commandant's Own.

[3] Like the United States Marine Band, prior to enlisting each potential member of the Drum and Bugle Corps, all must pass a competitive audition.

In January of 2021 the unit transitioned from the two-valved models utilized by the Drum Corps for decades, to three-valved versions, allowing the brass section to play the complete chromatic scale.