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Show "IH Ml1' 1 ''' 1 November 26, 1997 mmm, mmmmtmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Hill AFB Honor Guard provides honor to those who have served, passed on Members needed to serve , great opportunity to earn achievement Members get five points per funeral, and three points per color guard event. An achievement medal is given every 200 points. Gray said other incentives by Lisa Ryan Hilltop Times staff of the taps, the The click movements, the sharp uni- forms. All of these things and. include free laundering of honor guard uniforms and Honor on-ba- se more Guard of.the Quarter recognition... . belong to the Hill AFB Honor Guard. And often times it is those things that attract young airmen and officers to the honor guard. "We attract the cream of the crop from the squadrons," MSgt. Drew Gray, NCO in charge, said. "They want to be part of the team because they might have had previous drill experience, band experience or ROTC training somewhere. Or maybe ... "But pride and professionalism are also big incentives," Gray said. Being a member of the honor guard can also provide bullets on one's fir Enlisted or Officer Performance Report, and maybe a promotion. But it's particularly good for airmen just starting out their Air Force career. "If there's an airman who's thinking about going to college and he posts the colors at a Community College of the Air Force's graduation, below-the-zon- e 1 ' - i ti 1 1 li 111 they've just seen the honor guard perform. "The new people are very moti- he'll see the graduates receiving vated and they have the enthusiasm their degrees and the pride in their - , needed to give the team new blood," eyes," Gray said. also func'"Members learn about said. Gray But Gray said that even more new tions like dining outs," Gray conblood is needed because the Hill tinued. "When airmen test for staff AFB Honor Guard serves a very sergeant and have been to a couple of dining outs, they'll know the important purpose. answer. They're setting themselves up for success." 1st Lt. Ed Berg, Financial Man- a agement Directorate, said the honor guard provides many opportunities. "One opportunity for young officers is to lead enlisted members," Berg said. New people are motivated and give the team new meets every The honor guard and holds a a Saturday practice for newcomers and trainers. Every new person blood. MSgt Drew Gray NCOIC Hill AFB Honor Gaurd "The honor guard provides a valuable service to the Air Force and the armed forces as well," Gray said. "We have an inherent duty to our retirees to make sure they get the honors when they pass away." And that's the main purpose of the honor guard to provide honors at funerals in Utah, Wyoming and parts of Idaho, Gray said. "But we are also present during college graduations (on base), arrivals of distinguished visitors, Air Force balls and dining outs," Gray said. are is on a probationary status for 30-9- 0 days. SrA. Peter Patrick, 649th Combat Logistics Support Squadron, said he wanted to join the honor guard when he first came in the military because the Air Force Honor Guard impressed him. But now, there's another reason. "Congress has been cutting back on a lot of military benefits and in my eyes if we don't take care and honor our own people, who else is going to do it?" Patrick said. 1st Lt. Bob Schroeter, 84th Radar Evaluation Squadron, said being part of the honor guard gives him a chance to be part of the "real Air Force." "If you sit behind a desk all day, you really don't feel like you're in the military," Schroeter said. "By doing this, I get a sense of patriotism. It brings honor." TSgt. Art Poe, 729th Air Control Squadron, said the honor guard is a way to boost morale. "It adds an increased focus on what honor guard Members oftothe commit to the duty active duty Air Force members Poe said. "There's a lot for one year. But Gray said it's rare to see someone leave the honor guard after just one year. "Once you're on the honor guard, you're on the honor guard for the rest of your career," Gray said. are doing," of pride that can be built by serv- ing on the honor guard. "r are some new standardized movements that the honor guard There Honor Guard members A1C Chelsea Harris, 75th Civil Engineering Group; SSgt. Matt Furman, 367th Training Support Squadron; SrA. Jessie Castillo, 75th Communications Squadron and A1C Leo Da Silva, 75th Civil Engineering Group, post the colors at the Community College of the Air Force's graduation Nov. 13. Bugler TSgt Terry Dammer, 649th Munitions Squadron, played "The Star Spangled Banner." Hill AFB have to learn. Patrick went to Boiling AFB, D.C., to learn those new movements from the Air Force Honor Guard. "One thing that is different is the way the flag is folded over someone's casket," Patrick said. "Before, the movements were snappy and crisp. Now everything has more of a flow motion. Now all six people standing over the casket have a specific job in folding the flag to make sure it turns out perfect every time." Gray said that standardized movements for pall bearing, firing party and color guard have been imple- mented. Patrick said the movements are standardized so that any honor guard from Air Force Materiel Command bases could fill in on the Air Force Honor Guard without having to be trained. Individuals interested in joining the honor guard can call MSgt. Drew or Ext. Gray, Ext. jiTrtYSYoT? - |