It was indeed a historic event this Saturday as the Saskatchewan Dragoons received a brand new regimental guidon.

A standard military tradition, a guidon is unit specific and symbolizes the regiment’s history and recognizes the sacrifices made by all those who are currently or have served with the unit. It is one the most sacred possessions for a regiment.

"When I look at this guidon, I see the history of every soldier who has served under it," explained Commanding Officer of the Saskatchewan Dragoons Major Gillian Dulle. "Whether its the 95th Rifles, the 60th Rifles, the South Saskatchewan Regiment, The King's Own Rifles of Canada, 46th Battalion, the 128th Battalion, and most recently, the Saskatchewan Dragoons."

To replace their 48 and a half-year-old guidon they received in the 70's, a full-colour guard, Old Guard, cadets, and other branches of the military were represented for the special occasion, with Lieutenant Governor Thomas Molloy present for the replacement.

The Dragoons' newest guidon.

A three-year process, the Dragoons had to request the new guidon and it was carefully recreated, now including a new battle honour, Afghanistan.

The first battle honour to be added to the regiments guidon since the Battle of Valenciennes in World War 1, which occurred 100 years ago on Friday, the Afghanistan honour recognizes those deployed during the war from 2001 to 2014.

In total, 22 members of the Dragoons deployed during the war serving in various positions.

With the new guidon at the at D.V. Currie VC Armoury, the old one is now retired to storage, but, Major Dulle said there were plans in place to have it hang at City Hall downtown.

It represents so much more also, to people who served under it, it represents their regimental family.

"When we bring together the Old Guard and even the cadets and those that serve in the units today, that is the regimental family and that is represented in the guidon itself," Major Dulle said. "So every thread in that fabric is represented by a soldier who, when woven together, we get what we call our regimental family and what is represented on our guidon."