The caisson platoon conducts an average of 1,700 funerals per year between all five branches of the services. The honor is reserved for all officers, warrant officers, sergeant major (E-9, the highest enlisted rank), with priority given to those killed in the line of duty. A typical caisson team consists of a minimum of seven horses, matched gray or black, four riders, and a serviceman displaying the colors of the deceased members branch of service. Six of the horses pull the caisson, three of which have riders. The three other horses are riderless. The two horses closest to the caisson are called the wheel horses, and these are the most experienced horses and act as the brakes. The two front horses are the leads, and they are the second most experienced. The two middle horses are called the swings, and they are the least experienced. The seventh horse, which has a rider, is the guide horse. The seventh horse is ridden off the team to allow the section chief to move independently, ensuring that the designated route is clear, and to coordinate with the marching troops prior to the funeral service. In battles, the horses on the right side were used for carrying provisions and replacing a main horse if needed. Caissons were used to carry the wounded and deceased from the battlefield as well as hauling ammunition. The field artillery used a six-horse hitch, and today, the platoon uses their equipment, tack, techniques, and training methods laid out in the artillery manual printed by the Army in 1942. PC: @arlingtonmedia