MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- Air Force honor guard personnel traveled to Maxwell to train and educate the base honor guard here, Nov. 7 – 16, 2016.
Members of the Air Force’s top honor guard are here this week to help keep Maxwell honor guard on top of their game.
Three Air Force honor guard members are training 12 Airmen from Maxwell honor guard on basic protocol, honors and ceremonies during the eight day United States Air Force Honor Guard Mobile Training Course.
The Air Force honor guard team does mobile training every two weeks and at least once a month. Before arriving here, they were in Charlotte, South Carolina.
“We are here because we were asked to come down and help out, and we like to travel and ensure the standards of honor guard are being met at each base. So we actually go from base to base around the world and teach the base honor guards, so everyone is staying on the same page,” said Tech. Sgt. Michael Marr, Air Force Honor Guard Non-commissioned officer in charge of Continuous Training.
Tech. Sgt. Gregory Hess, Maxwell Honor Guard superintendent, said he believes the extra training will ensure their training standards mirrors those of the Air Force honor guard as close as they can and hone the skills they already have.
Maxwell honor guard members, Airman 1st Class Lerome Pratt and Airman first Class Jose Medel both agree the training is intense.
“ Sergeant Marr, he definitely makes you appreciate everything a lot more,” said Medel. He shows you the bigger picture of everything that we’re doing here and there’s a reason we do everything that we do.”
Pratt snapped his fingers and said “flawless,” as he described how precise their movements have to be while performing honors.
“What I really want to gain out of this is the correct way to do things so we can come back and teach the rest of the honor guard how it’s really done, because there is always room for improvement,” said Pratt.
The Maxwell Honor Guard superintendent said he hopes the Airmen take away a sense of pride, confidence, increased skill level, but most of all an understanding and appreciation of the members who served before them.