LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --
Professionalism, tradition, conditioned; driven to excel no matter the type of ceremony, severity of the temperature, or size of the crowd. Those are just some of the characteristics that all honor guardsmen and women carry with them while performing their ceremonial duties.
It’s also the characteristics that Laughlin’s newest graduated honor guardsmen and women swore to on a rainy Friday morning this past week at Heritage Park. With a volley of fire for a mock funeral procession and a final rendition of the Honor Guard oath lead by Staff Sgt. Michael Bailey, NCO in charge of Laughlin’s Honor Guard program, this induction also marks the first graduation for Laughlin.
“This graduation congratulates and identifies the hard work the honor guard members have accomplished for their training,” said Bailey. “It’s to let their work centers know they’ve accomplished this task and marks their additional duty outside of their regular duty.”
The week-long, all day course consists of practicing drill, customs and courtesies, and specific Honor Guard tasks such as volleys, ceremonious flag folding, pallbearing, and sword teams.
“The week is about being able to step up with confidence to perform the duties of an honor guard member,” said Bailey. “That would include standing manuals and different attention forms to two person flag folds that we would hand to a grieving widow at a funeral.”
Friday’s ceremony, while observing the accomplishment of a rigorous program for our members, only marks the beginning of their future year-long work of providing the ceremonial backbone for Laughlin and the Air Force.
“This graduation marks the first graduation for Laughlin and honors those that has performed this duty,” said Berry. “It also means we can do seven-person pallbearer and eight-person sword teams; now we can do this on a regular basis.”
Airman 1st Class Mark Johnson, 47th Flying Training Wing administrator and newly graduated Honor Guardsman, sees his participation in the Honor Guard as a way to recognize Airmen that have made insurmountable sacrifices for their country.
“I look forward to experiencing a new side of the Air Force,” said Johnson. “Joining the Honor Guard is a great opportunity to play an integral role in the Air Force Community. It's a lot of responsibility but the hard work will be worth the effort.”
The honor guard duty is not only incredibly important in recognizing Air Force tradition and the sacrifices of Airmen, but is also a mandated act by Congress itself.
“Not many people know it, but Honor Guard duties are a Congressional Act,” said Bailey. “If we miss a single detail, Colonel Shank is notified by Congress. That is how important this job is.”
Anybody interested in participating in the Laughlin Honor Guard are encouraged to contact Bailey via email at michael.bailey.23@us.af.mil or by calling 298-5159.