Airmen represent Team McChord with honor

by Airman 1st Class Keoni Chavarria
62nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs

10/31/2014 - JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. -- Six Airmen stand in position as a hearse rolls to a stop just past them. They open the back door revealing a casket with the U.S. flag draped over it. They carefully carry out the casket before placing it on the lowering device, its final resting place. They methodically remove the flag from the casket. In a ceremony representative of the member's military service, the team completes the flag fold and presents the flag to the family member. The "They" are members of McChord Field's Honor Guard.

"This image is very important as an honor guardsman," said Tech. Sgt. Justin Gebhardt, 627th Force Support Squadron NCO in charge of McChord Field Honor Guard. "This could possibly be the first time someone's ever interacted with a military member, or the last time. If it's the last time, whatever image we portray is what they're going to think of the Air Force as."

While working details such as funerals are the main duty of a McChord Field Honor Guard member, they are also busy accomplishing additional duties such as scheduling and training.

This is where schedulers reserve the vehicles that will be used, lodging if they have to stay the night, and the amount of Airmen that are needed to accomplish the details. If there are multiple details in a relatively close distance in a good time frame, one team will go out and complete all of them.

Some days involve more than four details to be completed by a single team in a set time.

McChord Field Honor Guard has the fifth largest area of responsibility in the Air Force that is covered by its 70 members. The honor guard covers a total of 70,000 miles that starts at the Washington-Canadian border down to the last county in Oregon.

Another large aspect of being a member of the honor guard is the training. They work to gain the image they want to portray. Either training physically, or mentally, perfecting their steps and movements is critical. Members have a physical training schedule where they exercise and practice their movements five days a week.

Being in the honor guard also gives members a new view of things along with a feeling of pride and honor.

"It gives them a different perspective on the big picture of the Air Force," said Gebhardt. "It exposes them to an environment with civilians such as handing out flags."

"I think when you're out there and you're in charge of a detail, it definitely makes you have a little more perspective on how much the Air Force really cares for its fallen veterans and retirees," said Airman 1st Class Lucas Dwornick, 627th FSS honor guard scheduler.

"It's a whole new way to give back to all these families that are in the utmost grief because they've lost someone that they love," said Airman 1st Class Seth Gabrielse, 627th FSS honor guard trainer, speaking of the funeral honors the McChord Honor Guard performs.

As the sound of the trumpets play, three members of the McChord Field Honor Guard fire a shot from their rifles. They recharge the rifle before firing two more shots, as a sign of honor for the deceased veteran.

The ceremony concludes with the McChord Field Honor Guard gracefully exiting the site. The ceremony is over and the team has left a lasting impression of the U.S. Air Force on this family.

Between the numerous details, the training and the additional duties performed, the McChord Field Honor Guardsmen are kept busy almost seven days a week, making sure to provide a lasting impression of the Air Force, Air Mobility Command and Team McChord.

For more information on the McChord Field Honor Guard, contact Tech. Sgt. Justin Gebhardt at (253) 982-3775.