The Nighthawk Honor Guard is an organization within Detachment 490 comprised of the Drill Team and Color Guard. The Drill Team gives cadets the opportunity to perform precision drills and rifle drill at functions including the annual RPI Drill Meet. The Color Guard gives cadets the opportunity to present the colors at universities, the Cadet Training Wing, and national sporting events in the NY-NJ metropolitan area. Today, the Nighthawk Honor Guard continues to train new and motivated cadets every semester, continuing the well-known tradition of excellence at Detachment 490. Cadets also help to recruit the next generation of cadets at many different events throughout the school year, giving first-hand knowledge about the program to interested students.