The University of Tennessee ROTC color guard wears the uniforms of the Knoxville Dragoons of the Mexican War (1846–48). At least five of the Dragoons were East Tennessee University alumni—the two Roberson brothers, Lieutenant Samuel Bell, Corporal S. G. Swan, and Private William A. Lindsay. The color guard was commanded by Captain William R. Caswell. The Knoxville Dragoons rode out of town on June 11, 1846, bearing a battle flag woven and presented by local women.
The uniforms, exact replicas of the Knoxville Dragoons’ uniforms, were first worn at homecoming, November 12, 1960. In keeping with the new uniforms, the Army ROTC designed and adopted a new shoulder patch as the official shoulder patch of the UT Army ROTC. The patch featured the black Dragoon headpiece, the shako with a white plume mounted on an orange background, and VOLS superimposed across the bottom in white.
The ROTC guard presents the colors at a variety of events, ranging from commencement to football games. In 1994 the entity became the Dragoon Drill Company, with membership open to both Army and Air Force ROTC cadets.