A tradition of honor Published July 19, 2007 By Airman 1st Class Kali L. Gradishar 92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- Training for a new group of Honor Guard members began July 16, carrying on a tradition of just that - honor. The class of seven, five Airmen and two Soldiers, wiped the slate clean and pushed what they learned in prior training to the back of their minds. For Honor Guard they will be starting from scratch, learning the elegant and precise ceremonial movements. "It's like we're erasing everything we learned before in basic training and learning things all over," said Airman 1st Class Erica Salas, a ceremonial guardsman in training. The moves learned in Honor Guard vary slightly and are more precise than the movements previously learned. The first day of training consisted of learning the basic movements, unarmed standing and marching techniques, which are common movements used in Honor Guard. "A lot of things we do are more stable," said Army Spc. Jacob Schuler, an Honor Guard instructor. "The class will learn about the firing party, casket movements and funeral sequences. But Honor Guard is not just for funerals; it's for ceremonies, weddings, cordons for distinguished visitors and we sometimes visit schools for events like Veteran's day." Honor Guard is open to proud, valiant and responsible servicemembers who choose to go above and beyond their typical duties to pay respect to the flag and those who served. "The most important thing about Honor Guard is that we are honoring the veterans who served before us," said Sergeant Schuler. Training for Honor Guard requires complete attention to detail. From the presenting of the colors to the firing party to the folding of the flag, everything is meticulously planned. The ceremonial guardsmen practice repeatedly the things they will learn throughout the five days of training. During the second day of training, the class practiced posting and receiving the colors and the basic handling of rifles. "If you think that the marching was easy, it was. If you think the flags were easy, they were," said Sergeant Schuler to the class. "But weapons will take a lot of hard work and practice." But that goes for every step toward becoming a ceremonial guardsman. Hard work, practice and dedication go hand-in-hand in every aspect of training needed for the job. The training will provide the Airmen and Soldiers with the knowledge needed to go further in their Honor Guard commitment and perform at the various functions requiring an Honor Guard team.
