“To Honor With Dignity”
Hello everyone! I am Katana Jones, and I have been a WAF for close to two years now. My husband and I are both in the military. I have been a Paralegal in the Air National Guard for seven years. After spending six years as an Air Traffic Controller, my husband was selected to join The United States Air Force Honor Guard! We are currently stationed at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C.
WHAT IS THE U.S. AIR FORCE HONOR GUARD?
The Honor Guard is a selectively manned unit with more than 300 ceremonial guardsmen and support personnel. Their primary mission is to render military honors to Air Force personnel during funeral services at Arlington National Cemetery. Also, they conduct military ceremonies at the White House, Pentagon, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and other national memorials. These ceremonial guardsmen also represent the Air Force in presidential, joint service, and public ceremonies in the national capital region.
WHERE MIGHT MY SPOUSE BE ASSIGNED TO WORK?
Five flights make up the Honor Guard: Colors, Body Bearers, Firing Party, Training Flight, and Drill Team.
Colors – This flight displays and guards the Nation’s flag, U.S. Air Force flags, and many visiting dignitaries’ native countries. The flight presents the colors for both Air Force-specific events and with other services’ honor guards for joint service missions.
Body Bearers –The Body Bearers Flight participates in U.S. Air Force, joint service, and state funerals by carrying the remains of deceased service members, their dependents, senior or national leaders to their final resting places at Arlington National Cemetery. The bearers begin by removing the casket from the caisson used to transport the deceased to the gravesite. They then carry the fallen into the gravesite while keeping the casket level without showing any visible signs of strain as military bearing must always be maintained. Next, the flag is folded and presented to the next-of-kin.
Firing Party – Firing Party performs three volleys (commonly but incorrectly referred to as the “21-gun salute”) during a funeral service at Arlington National Cemetery. The seven-man teams fired their three rounds in perfect Unison, honoring the fallen.
Training Flight– The training flight runs the introductory technical training course for all newly assigned members to the honor guard and the ten-day in-residence/mobile training team course for base honor guards. The training flight also encompasses the honor guard recruiting and force development sections of the honor guard.
Drill Team– Drill team is the traveling component of the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard. Their mission is to promote the Air Force mission by showcasing drill performances at public and military venues to recruit, retain, and inspire airmen. The team performs drilled movements with a fully functional M-1 rifle in intricate, constantly changing formations. They support the Air Force Recruiting Service as the official Ambassadors in Blue.
There are often opportunities to move around and try out for other flights. Due to NCO manning needs, my husband started in Firing Party and is now a part of the Body Bearers flight. He loves what he does and enjoys being a part of a group that promotes the Air Force mission, protects the standards, and preserves the organization’s heritage.
WHAT IS TRAINING LIKE?
The Air Force Honor Guard operates an on-site technical training school. The eight-week program teaches drill, discipline, and standards to all incoming ceremonial guardsmen. The unit program provides outdoor and indoor training areas with structures and equipment to simulate Arlington National Cemetery locations. Expect LONG training days. There are four training blocks focusing on standing and marching drill movements, both with and without an M-14 rifle, in addition to many hours of uniform prep. My husband would wake up at 4/5a.m. and return home at 6:30/7 p.m most nights. While it was a tough adjustment for those two months, I had to remind myself it was only temporary.
WHERE CAN MY SPOUSE BE STATIONED AND FOR HOW LONG?
Due to the Honor Guard’s mission, ceremonial guardsmen can only be stationed at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, District of Columbia. Assignments for Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) are four-year-controlled tours, and then they will return to their primary career field. Whereas first-term Airmen (straight out of Basic Military Training) assignments are three years, they can enter their first career field.
WHAT DO DEPLOYMENTS LOOK LIKE?
Deployments are non-existent in the Honor Guard. While there may be many opportunities for ceremonial guardsmen to travel abroad, they cannot be called for deployment due to a specific code on their records. This has undoubtedly been one of the biggest perks of this particular duty assignment!
MY ADVICE
WAFS- get involved with the unit! It is such a vastly different vibe than you would experience from a typical, deployable squadron. Close to 80% of the ceremonial guardsmen are First-Term Airmen that are direct from BMT. This leaves the remaining 20% as NCOs and a handful of Officers. I jumped in as a Key Spouse and have enjoyed building connections with the Airmen and their families and try to establish a close-knit community. There are many opportunities to serve this mission alongside your service member!
This particular duty assignment also allows time for your spouses to start or continue their education. Typically, unless your spouses are supervisors, they have plenty of time to engage in personal development once they are off work. You would not always have this time in an operational unit, so it is encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity!
If your spouse is selected for this position, then expect them to be worked. They are here to develop their leadership skills as NCOs and will be actively challenged to do so. I have had the opportunity to watch my husband grow as a supervisor, and I see how he consistently goes above and beyond for his Airmen. This position is an honor, privilege, and rewarding experience!
MEET KATANA
