Monday, November 23, 2015

Honor Guard demonstrates excellence

by 1st Lt. Alicia Premo
45th Space Wing Public Affairs


11/19/2015 - PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Patrick Air Force Base Honor Guard displayed the art and skill of providing funeral honors during a demonstration Nov. 17 at Memorial Plaza at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida.

During the demonstration, the honor guard conducted a military funeral honors ceremony. The ceremony included a 20-person team that performed pallbearing, a six-person flag fold, a color guard, a firing party, the playing of Taps, and a flag presentation. Second Lt. Carla Stapleton, Patrick AFB Honor Guard member and range control officer for the 1st Range Operations Squadron, narrated through the different traditions in the ceremony.

"Being able to serve on this team is a great honor. We represent five services to the public, and provide closure as well as an image of steadiness and strength to a grieving family. Performing military funeral honors requires numerous hours of practice. We can spend many hours practicing for a ceremony that will last five to 15 minutes," said Stapleton.

The Patrick AFB Honor Guard is an organization, which is congressionally mandated to provide military funeral honors for deceased Air Force, Army Air Force and Army Air Corps veterans, retirees and active duty personnel within the eastern half of Florida--from Volusia County to Miami-Dade.

Patrick AFB Honor Guard consists of 45 active duty, Air Force Guard and Air Force Reserve members and is a combination of 45th Space Wing, Air Force Technical Applications Center, the 920th Rescue Wing, and the 114th Space Control Squadron of the Air National Guard.

No comments: