HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. -- The 66th Force Support Squadron’s Patriot Honor Guard provides funeral honors throughout New England and Northeastern New York for active duty, retirees and veterans who served honorably in the Air Force.
The Honor Guard serves to bring a measure of military precision, respect, and decorum to special events, public functions, and official occasions to represent their organization and pay tribute to individuals or groups being honored.
“I was assigned to Hanscom for about two years when I caught wind that the honor guard needed volunteers for funerals,” said Capt. Corey Arthurs, chief innovation officer for the Program Executive Office Electronic Systems. “So, I started volunteering.”
The Patriot Honor Guard is comprised of only ten full-time personnel, three active-duty Airmen and seven augmentees, and they regularly receive more requests than they can support. Fortunately, a pool of trained volunteers is ready to assist.
The honor guard’s full-time staff trains volunteers in proper techniques and procedures. Volunteers learn how to carry flags and rifles, specific marching and facing movements, and how to salute with a weapon.
The initial training typically takes a few hours, and the volunteers become more proficient after each event.
“Our main mission is to support funeral honors, which are congressionally mandated,” said Master Sgt. Vannessa Jessup, honor guard superintendent. “We often receive funeral requests with as little as 24-hours’ notice.”
The ceremonial service performed by Air Force honor guards is a time-honored tradition at military ceremonies and events. But due to the team’s size and their funeral honors mission, it is difficult for them to support other types of events.
“It’s not always about the big, grand occasions, although they are important,” said Arthurs. “It’s also about the smaller events; they can have just as much meaning as the big ones.”
Honor guard volunteers supported 29 events in 2023 and 60 events in 2024. Since he first volunteered, Arthurs has completed more than 80 events.
The nature of military service leaves the volunteer pool in flux, as members move or receive new duty assignments.
“Right now, we have about 10 really active volunteers,” said Jessup. “But we are always looking for more.”
Uniformed Airmen interested in volunteering with the honor guard should contact Jessup at 781-225-5900 or Arthurs at 312-845-5674.