Edwards AFB News

AF Honor Guard prepares new class of Blue Eagles guardsmen

  • Published
  • By Jet Fabara
  • 412th Test Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  It's said that in order to be the best, you have to train with the best, and at Edwards, the Blue Eagles Honor Guard recently had the honor and opportunity of being trained by the Air Force's elite Honor Guard Mobile Training Team starting Oct. 20.

The Air Force Honor Guard team, who stem from Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, D.C., will spend eight days training more than 22 Blue Eagles Honor Guard members who will go on to perform military ceremonial duties throughout the Southern California area.

"It's an honor and a privilege to have the team out here. So far, the experience has been amazing and I think it's very important to render those respects to those who came before us through way of the honor guard," said Staff Sgt. Jeremy Waldrip, 412th Force Support Squadron, Blue Eagles Honor Guard NCOIC. "During their time here, they're adding and refining to what some of our members have been trained on, but we also have a lot of new people joining this rotation and a lot of changes have been made with the manual updates so they are definitely training us in those areas as well."

"Having three trainers from Bolling Air Force Base whose full-time job is to travel around and provide training to all the base units in order to ensure the training is standard across the U.S. Air Force is definitely not an everyday occurrence, but what this will do is elevate all of us to a whole new level in order to make sure that we're not only meeting Air Force expectations but exceeding them," said Staff Sgt. John Hicks, 412th Force Support Squadron, Blue Eagles Honor Guard ceremonial guardsman.
Of the honor guard members in attendance, Waldrip said the group consisted of active duty and reserve members from March Air Reserve Base and Edwards AFB with experiences ranging from less than one week to more than five years.

"I know I've only been here for four days but I love it and since we have the opportunity to receive training from the best, it truly is an honor that I've always wanted to be a part of," said Airman 1st Class Ruth Guzman, 412th Medical Operations Squadron medical technician.

"Since I joined the honor guard from 2009 to now, I think it's one of those experiences that everybody in the Air Force should go through at least once in their career whether they participate in a funeral service or in a flag-folding ceremony, because you gain much more appreciation for the Air Force and the people who serve in it," added Hicks. "I know base honor guards are able to request the training assistance from Bolling AFB, but this is a unique because not every Airman in the Air Force will get the opportunity to receive training from the standard in honor guard functions."

According to Waldrip, all this training will culminate with a graduation ceremony where the graduates will perform an active duty mock funeral with a full military honors sequence in front of base leadership and family members Oct. 29 on the Airmen Leadership School Drill Pad, left of Bldg. 2462, at 9 a.m.

"At the end of this, Airmen will receive in-depth training to ensure they are performing proper military honors and so they have a general idea of all the functions associated with being an honor guard member," said Senior Airman London Brown, U.S. Air Force Honor Guard training instructor. "I always tell everyone that the level we're at can be achieved by anyone, it just takes dedication, knowledge, strength, commitment to do this job. I think once a person joins the honor guard they'll learn the tremendous honor and privilege that comes with it. There are many members who have fallen and what better way to honor our fallen heroes."

Each year, members from the United States Air Force Honor Guard at Bolling AFB are selected as instructors to travel to various bases and provide training in an intense, week-long course.

The base honor guard's primary mission is to provide military funeral honors for active duty, retiree and veteran members who served honorably in the United States Air Force and Army Air Corp. The secondary mission of the base honor guard is performing military change of commands, retirements, retreats and other special functions.

The Blue Eagles Honor Guard is a total force honor guard comprised of personnel from Edwards AFB, March ARB and Los Angeles Air Force Base. The Area of Responsibility extends from the Ventura County border to the Arizona and Mexico border, and from the Pacific Ocean to the Nevada border.

To learn more about the Blue Eagles Honor Guard, or to join, call 661-275-2583 (BLUE) or e-mail edwardsfss.honor.guard@edwards.af.mil.