AF Honor Guard training team graduates Luke honor guardsmen

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Clinton Atkins
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
An Air Force Honor Guard mobile training team from Joint Base Anacostia Bolling, Washington, D.C., graduated a group of 24 local honor guardsmen here April 25, 2017.

The trainers from the Air Force’s premier honor guard spent 10 days with the group, ensuring they meet the honor guard’s high standards for dress and appearance, rifle team, color guard and pallbearing.

The base honor guardsmen displayed their polished skills during an exhibition of an active duty funeral sequence, which consists of a 20-member base honor guard team: seven for the rifle team, eight pallbearers, four color guardsmen and a bugler.

Tech. Sgt. Jerome Bryan, flight chief for the Air Force Honor Guard Training Flight, and his team, travels around the world to ensure the Air Force is well-represented when its base honor guard teams conduct funeral ceremonies.

“It’s all about representing every member of the Air Force,” he said. “Our goal is to ensure that when we go out there we represent them and we represent excellence, which is why we ensure everything is standardized, that whatever we train here we train at any other base the same exact way.”

Bryan praised the Luke Airmen for getting through the training and for their trainability and desire to learn.

“One of the most important things with Luke Air Force Base Honor Guard is the people. They seem to be very close knit, very coachable, very trainable, and they made the experience worthwhile,” he said.

Airman 1st Class Robin Cooter, 61st Aircraft Maintenance Unit crew chief and base honor guardsmen, said the whole Honor Guard experience is worthwhile and looks forward to continuing to represent Luke as the base provides its valued service across Arizona.

“Honor guard is so rewarding, going to these funerals, having these experiences, with people you don’t know, to give their spouse’s or family members’ their final rights. It’s one of the most rewarding things I’ve done in the military and probably my entire life,” he said.