I was never a part of marching band back in high school but I know plenty of people who were. It seemed like fun.
It is i was in my hish school Marching band. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwind, and some percussion instruments
What are some of the different instruments in these categories?
. (https://marching.musicforall.org/directorinfo/)
A: up to 600 students
AA: 601-1250 students
AAA: 1251-1750 students
AAAA: 1751-2250 students
AAAAA: 2250 + students
History.
Percussion and wind instruments were used on the battlefield since ancient times.
An Iron Age example would be the carnyx.
The development of the military band from such predecessors was a gradual development of the medieval and early modern period. 
A prototype of the Ottoman military band may be mentioned in the
Marching band
A marching band is a group in which instrumental musicians perform while marching, often for entertainment or competition. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. Most marching bands wear a uniform, often of a military style, that includes an associated organization's colors, name or symbol. Most high school marching bands, and some college marching bands, are accompanied by a color guard, a group of performers who add a visual interpretation to the music through the use of props, most often flags,