▁around ▁ 5 , 0 0 0 ▁years ▁ago , ▁with ▁the ▁practice ▁also ▁being ▁used ▁in ▁the ▁Roman ▁Empire ▁and ▁the ▁Roman ▁army ▁specifically . ▁It ▁was ▁made ▁more ▁significant ▁in ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges , ▁when ▁military ▁colours ▁were ▁formal ized ▁with ▁the ▁coat ▁of ▁arms ▁of ▁the ▁country . ▁Col our ▁gu ards ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁were ▁introduced ▁to ▁esc ort ▁the ▁colour ▁and ▁to ▁make ▁sure ▁that ▁the ▁colour ▁never ▁was ▁dam aged . ▁Today , ▁colours ▁are ▁no ▁longer ▁carried ▁into ▁battle , ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁modern ▁weapons , ▁and ▁the ▁adv ancement ▁of ▁war fare . ▁Col ours ▁are ▁now ▁used ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁regiment ' s ▁tradition ▁and ▁symbol izes ▁the ▁unit ' s ▁identity ▁and ▁is ▁used ▁at ▁events ▁of ▁formal ▁character . ▁ ▁The ▁ceremony ▁in ▁most ▁Commonwealth ▁countries ▁concern ▁the ▁entr ust ment ▁to ▁the ▁concerned ▁unit ▁of ▁either ▁one ▁or ▁two ▁colours , ▁if ▁for ▁the ▁latter ▁case ▁the ▁colours ▁are ▁a ▁S over eign ' s ▁or ▁National / Pres ident ial ▁Col our ▁and ▁the ▁Regiment al ▁Col our ▁( for ▁the ▁inf antry , ▁air ▁force ▁combat ▁commands ▁and ▁naval ▁establish ments , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁military ▁educational ▁cent ers ) ▁or ▁the ▁S over eign ' s / Pres ident ial ▁Standard / G uid on ▁( for ▁caval ry ▁units ▁and ▁training ▁establish ments ). ▁As ▁a ▁matter ▁of ▁tradition , ▁colours ▁are ▁never ▁issued ▁to ▁the ▁light ▁inf antry , ▁art illery ,