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McGuire Honor Guard pursues excellence

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Bryan Swink
  • Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --  Most people who have been around a military installation have witnessed the base honor guard in full military dress marching in sync, proudly displaying the nation's colors.

Though most servicemembers see only these on-base change-of-command ceremonies, retirements and other special events, this is not where they do the majority of their work.

Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act in 2000 to provide military funeral honors to any veteran and the McGuire Elite Honor Guard has conducted more than 1,300 details since October 1.

It's the busiest honor guard in the Air Force providing military funeral honors to veterans residing in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.


"It is an honor to be a part of these services for veterans who served before me," said Airman 1st Class Robert Goldsberry, McGuire Elite Honor Guard member from the 87th Medical Operations Squadron. "It's incredibly important to their families and it proves that servicemembers are taken care of even after their military service."

The McGuire Elite Honor Guard currently has 25 Airmen assigned to the unit, according to Staff Sgt. Colin Fish, the honor guard scheduler. Members from various squadrons throughout the base volunteer and usually serve four month rotations.

During their rotation, Airmen completely step away from their units and focus exclusively on honor guard duties. They immerse themselves in the training and preparation and learn the details that are part of performing these important ceremonies. From the first day they arrive at the unit, they drill continuously throughout the work day.

The Airmen practice flag folding, marching drills and formations, presenting colors, calling commands and rifle handling, said Goldsberry. The continuous repetition of these drills establish muscle memory in the Airman, making the movements second nature.

Many Airmen who volunteer have not been involved in any organized drill expercise since basic training, Goldsberry added. Due to the large number of events the unit is tasked with, new Airmen must get up to speed quickly.

"It usually takes us only a day or two to train someone to be able to present colors," said Airman 1st Class Steven Kelly, McGuire Elite Honor Guard. "It may take us one to two weeks to train someone to be able to perform in the seven to 20-man details."

The honor guard is continuously looking for new volunteers who want to represent the standard of discipline and military professionalism exemplified by JB MDL.

For more information about volunteer opportunities with the honor guard or to request their services, call the honor guard scheduler at 754-4117.