The Pershing Rifles was founded at the University of Nebraska in the fall of 1892 as a crack drill unit at the insistence of Nebraska’s military commandant, John J. Pershing. The organization was named for Pershing in 1895, following completion of his tour of duty at the university. Pershing Rifles gained a national reputation, and in 1925 a program of nationalization was begun. The organization, which affiliated loosely with Scabbard and Blade in 1925, emphasized fancy drill maneuvers for competition and display. The University of Tennessee’s crack drill unit was granted a charter in 1927, under the influence of UT’s Scabbard and Blade. Pershing Rifles first carried a full-scale program at UT in 1951, with the establishment of a Pershing Rifle Drill Company. The current UT drill team is the Dragoon Drill Team, which presents the colors at home football games and in other ceremonial events, including the 1993 and 1997 inaugurations of the United States president.