Air Force Honor Guard trains McConnell’s sharpest

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class David Bernal Del Agua
  • 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  Precision engagement is one of the main capabilities of the Air Force, whether it is demonstrating precision while completing a mid-air refueling or firing a single missile from a fighter jet and hitting its target.

The American public doesn't always get to see this capability, but when they do see precision, it is often times through each military branch's honor guard.

Three members of the Air Force Honor Guard team are visiting McConnell from Join Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C., to share their knowledge and skills for a week to help improve the precision of the 22nd Air Refueling Wing Honor Guard.

"We're here at McConnell to sharpen the honor guard and help them out with any questions, sequences, or anything that has been troubling them," said Airman 1st Class London Brown, Air Force Honor Guard training flight instructor.

The honor guardsmen are traveling to different bases, making corrections and standardizing every base's regulations.

"The great thing is that the honor guard comes here and has a chance to look from the outside with fresh eyes," said Tech. Sgt. Terrence Williams, 22nd Air Refueling Wing Honor Guard NCO in charge. "They are going to make us look better than we did before."

The Air Force Honor Guard Airmen are not looking to start from the ground up, but instead they want to build on what the local honor guards already know.

"We can improve discipline and attention to detail, because it's the little things that can fall through the cracks and people notice it," said Brown.

Improving the small details were among the first things the honor guard members worked on when they arrived, said Williams.

Their improvements will be on display April 30 for a graduation ceremony showcasing the skills taught throughout the week.

"The ceremony will show what events take place if the base has a fallen active duty member," said Brown. "The full active duty honors funeral will have the firing party line, bearers unit, and a colors team going through a whole sequence."

The ceremony is about showing respect and care to fallen Air Force members and their families as much as it is about a graduation.

"We want to leave a lasting good impression for the families that attend the funerals, award presentations or color presentations," said Brown.

According to the base honor guard, leaving a good impression can be done by executing commands with perfect precision, but it is also about a bigger picture.

Showing family members the Air Force cares about its service members and their sacrifices for their country are among the top priorities for the honor guard.