Honor with dignity: Air Force Honor Guard members perform their duties with strength and dignity, qualities that are sought in candidates and nurtured throughout their tour - Brief Article

Airman, August, 2002 by Rick Master Sgt. Burnham

Grieving family members huddle close, and a steady rain falls on Arlington National Cemetery, a dreary reminder of the somber events of the day. As storm clouds roll across the Potomac, a retired colonel is laid to rest on the hallowed grounds that overlook Washington, D.C.

But despite the anguish and despair of the moment -- underscored by more than 250,000 gravesites on the grounds of Arlington -- there is strength and dignity -- symbols of the honored profession of arms that the officer sacrificed much of his life for. Amidst the tears and poignant words of farewell, an Honor Guard team executes ceremonial movements with pride and precision, from the presentation of the American flag to the teary-eyed widow to the 21-gun salute, fired in perfect succession to sound like three shots instead of 21.

As gunfire echoes across rolling hills of Arlington, feelings shift from the sorrow and grief of loss to the pride and dignity of the Air Force colonel's accomplishments. More importantly, it becomes apparent to all in attendance that the service stands side-by-side with its people and their families till the end.

This time-honored ceremony -- held more than 100 times each month at Arlington and various public cemeteries along the Atlantic seaboard -- remains the core function of the Air Force Honor Guard, a 250-person unit assigned to the 11th Wing at Boiling Air Force Base, Washington, D.C. And for good reason. While other events in the national capital region capture the imagination of many Honor Guard members, including those on the grounds of the White House, virtually every ceremonial guardsman will tell you there's something truly special -- and very important -- about Arlington.

The ceremonial image

"Whenever families look to a ceremonial guardsman during a funeral, they should see an image of the person they're laying to rest," said Capt. Leo Lawson Jr., operations officer. "They should see the strength the person had while a member of the Air Force. So the focus of our people should be on remaining strong and keeping that sharp, professional image."

It's an image that's well-honed from the beginning. Most of the unit's men and women -- 65 percent -- come directly from Basic Military Training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, where a team of Honor Guard officials head twice a month to look for recruits. The requirements are distinct and unyielding: Candidates must stand at least 5 feet 8 inches and must project a professional image in uniform. Broad shoulders and slim waistlines are preferred.

But, said Maj. Elizabeth Thomas, Honor Guard commander, the requirements to become a ceremonial guardsman go much further.

"We'll interview them, and if they tell us what we want to hear, that's a definite plus," said the major, a security forces officer who came to the Honor Guard in 2000. "We'll also talk to their basic military training instructor, and if they have favorable things to say, that's a plus as well."

An in-depth background check is conducted to determine whether or not a person can obtain the security clearance required to handle weapons in the presence of high-level government officials, including the president and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The interview process is not perfect, Thomas said. Conducted on one day during the recruit's second week of basic training, a single conversation could be misleading.

"Someone may be just having a very good day," she said. "And then it may turn out that was their one good day."

When members report for duty to Bolling -- where the Honor Guard has established its own seven-week technical school for newly arrived airmen -- they are promptly interviewed again.

"I usually get to talk to them their first or second day of training, when they arrive at the unit," Thomas said. "I'll tell them, 'If you think you've made a mistake and this is not the place you want to be, let us know right away so we can get you back to the technical school for the career field you had originally chosen."

Many choose the Honor Guard from the beginning of their careers, some even before.

"We actually have airmen who put off starting basic military training until they know we are going there to recruit new members," she said.

Airmen who arrive from basic training typically stay with the unit for two or three years, depending on the lengths of their enlistments. For those who report as noncommissioned officers from other career fields, the stay is typically three years.

The path less taken

That path -- waiting until later in their careers -- can be a difficult one.

"The troops who come from the field work very hard to get here," Thomas said. "They may have put in a package, and it may have taken more than a year from the point when they decided they really wanted to come here, to developing their special duty assignment package, to selection.

"Usually, they have worked very hard and have had a lot of people involved to get them to this organization."

Staff Sgt. Douglas Schmidt, a former transportation specialist who served on the Honor Guard drill team, said a chance encounter with a former guardsman led him to Boiling.