Air Force Honor Guard visits Hanscom to pass on knowledge

  • Published
  • By Sarah Olaciregui
  • 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  The tap, tap, tap of the shoes could be heard down the street. The rattles and clicks of the guns being grasped could be made out, as well. The enunciated words such as "about face" or "forward march" were quite clear to anyone walking by the Patriot Honor Guard building on Otis Street this week.

The U.S. Air Force Honor Guard, out of Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, D.C., visited Hanscom June 18 through 27 for base honor guard annual training.

A total of 22 Airmen from throughout New England and even one from Dover AFB, Del., attended the formal training course.

"We have ceremonial honor guardsmen attending from Hanscom, Dover Air Force Base, Pease Air National Guard Base (N.H.), Bangor (Air National Guard Base) in Maine, Otis (Air National Guard Base, Mass.) and Westover (Air Reserve Base, Mass.)," said Tech. Sgt. Lori Jones, Patriot Honor Guard ceremonial honor guardsman.

Attendees ranged in rank from airman first class to captain. Some were full time ceremonial honor guardsmen at their respective bases, while others were augmentees that served part time to include evenings or weekends.

"This formal training course is the most elite training our ceremonial honor guardsmen can go through," Jones said. "To have our augmentees complete this training is very important and will ensure the military funeral honors we provide are done correctly."

Three instructors from the mobile training team are here to train on the firing party, pall bearing and colors sequence.

"They go through two days of each sequence," Jones said. "The first day they are divided into three groups and learn either the firing party, colors or pall bearing. The first half of the second day they go over what they learned and practice together as a team. The second half of the day they are evaluated before moving on to the next sequence."

The firing party is what is commonly referred to as a "21-gun salute." They perform the firing of three volleys during a funeral service. These seven-man teams fire their three rounds in perfect unison honoring the fallen.

The colors team is what many people see at formal military events, sporting events and more. The colors team displays and guards the United States flag and U.S. Air Force flag. These teams generally consist of four individuals. The two outermost are rifle guards and serve as protectors of the colors, which are carried by the two individuals in the middle.

Pall bearers participate in funerals by carrying the remains of deceased service members and their dependents.

"The bearers begin by removing the casket from the caisson used to transport the deceased to the grave site," states the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard website. "The caskets generally weigh from 450 to 600 pounds, but there are exceptions, when some caskets have been known to exceed 900 pounds. They then carry the fallen to the grave site while keeping the casket perfectly level and without showing any visible signs of strain as military bearing must be maintained at all times. The length of the carry can easily exceed 60 yards. Once the grave site is reached, their duties continue by holding the flag taut and level at rigid attention until the service is complete. Next, the flag is folded and presented to the next of kin."

Attendees must also go through uniform inspections, both for Airman Battle Uniforms and ceremonial uniforms, according to Jones.

Senior Airman Jonathan Ramos is one of the instructors from the Air Force Honor Guard. For more than four years he served as a body bearer. Now, he is an instructor.

"I love meeting new members of the honor guard and seeing how dedicated they are to serving," he said. "We share the same passion."

Although he teaches, he says that by traveling from base to base he learns more about the Air Force.

"I want to pass on my knowledge and help each member of the honor guard become better honor guardsmen," said Ramos.

The course provides up-to-date information for the full time Patriot Honor Guard members, as well. Jones, who completed the course in July 2011, says there are little things that change from year to year so this training is vital in keeping current.

For Senior Airman Kevin Phillips, Patriot Honor Guard ceremonial honor guardsman and the 2011 Electronic Systems Center Honor Guard Enlisted Member of the Year, the training was a very motivating experience.

"The instructors are subject matter experts in what they're doing," he said. "I had honor guard experience before taking this course, but I really needed it to brush up on things."

Phillips noted that everything base honor guards do comes from the Air Force Honor Guard.

"With the instructors being here, we got it straight from the source," he said. "You can always look at a reg (Air Force regulation), but having them here and being able to ask questions directly was great."

On June 27, the class wrapped up with a graduation ceremony and presentation. With just a week and a half of training, the mobile training unit accomplished their vision "to ensure a legacy of Airmen who promote the mission, protect the standards, perfect the image and preserve the heritage of the organization."