Also, a color guard is a non-musical section of a marching band. Originally, a military color guard often travelled with the band, which would presumably be playing a patriotic song of some sort. This use continued into the civilian marching bands; and, today, a marching band color guard will normally carry flags, banners, mock rifles or mock swords, much as a military color guard does. Other props, of a nature relevant to the theme of the musical program, are also used. Marching band color guards can grow very large, often rivalling the number of musicians in the band.