News

Offutt Honor Guard perfects skills

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Amanda Dick
  • 55th Wing Public Affairs
They present the colors at our luncheons, change of commands, birthday balls and more. They provide funeral services for our lost members, both active duty and retired. Recently, they had the chance to learn from the Air Force's official ceremonial unit.

Nine honor guardsmen from Offutt's Honor Guard trained for two weeks at Bolling AFB, District of Columbia, with the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard.

Offutt, along with eight other base honor guards, trained mainly in the three major areas of a full honors military funeral: pall bearing, firing and presenting the colors.

"The main purpose of the training was to standardize military funeral honors across the Air Force," said Staff Sgt. Alex Frizzo, a USAF Honor Guard training flight instructor.

Sergeant Frizzo said the base honor guards also learned proper uniform preparation and the mentality a ceremonial honor guardsman should have. Honor guardsmen also toured Arlington National Cemetery.

Offutt's Honor Guardsmen faced many challenges while training.

"The firing party was what I needed the most work on," said Airman 1st Class Majesta Gregory, an Offutt Honor Guard trainer. "The way they had us train and hold certain movements were tiring on my arm muscles, but made me physically and mentally stronger." 

Although the training was challenging, Offutt Honor Guardsmen took away many lessons from this opportunity.

"Training with the Air Force Honor Guard was a great experience," said Senior Airman Peter Hudson, a 55th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief and former Offutt Honor Guardsman. "Just being around the trainers, who do this for a living, allowed me to perfect my movements."

Airman Gregory said she learned several things while training.

"It doesn't matter how small, short, tall or big you are, with enough practice and repetition, you can be the best of the best," she said.

Some key lessons Sergeant Frizzo said Air Force Honor Guard trainers wanted base honor guardsmen to walk away from training with were confidence and pride.

"We wanted them to walk away with confidence in their performance," the sergeant said.

"They might not leave the course with perfect manuals, but they need to know they are achievable.

Another lesson we wanted them to walk away with was a sense of pride, to hold their head high," the sergeant added. "They represent every member past and present of the Air Force."

Out of the nine base honor guards attending the course, Sergeant Frizzo said Offutt was one of the most advanced and sharpest base honor guards attending that particular course.

"It's refreshing and motivating for me to see a base honor guard with the ability and attention to detail Offutt has," the sergeant said.

For more information on the Offutt Honor Guard, call 294-5465. For more information on the Air Force Honor Guard, visit their Web site at http://www.honorguard.af.mil/.