Members of a military honor guard rehearse movements most people never notice, the precise angle of a folded flag, the exact number of steps between positions, the timing of a rifle volley to the second. To an observer the ceremony looks effortless, which is itself the product of enormous preparation; a visible mistake would draw attention to the individuals performing the duty rather than to the person being honored. That inversion, where flawless execution serves to make the performers disappear, is part of what distinguishes ceremonial military bearing from performance meant to be admired for its own sake.