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380AEW Article

Honor Guardsmen display honor, kinship

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Timothy Boyer
  • 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  He gets off work, lets out a heavy sigh and walks to the bus stop. It's his sixth day of working 12 hours, and they're catching up to him. He desires to go to his dorm to get some rest, but something deeper in him drives him to go to practice instead. He is a member of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Honor Guard.

The honor guard is a group of Airmen who truly put service before self to ensure honor is given to the flag and all it represents.

With a 72-hour work week and the basic need of sleep, Staff Sgt. Kevin Green, 380th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron conventional maintenance crew chief, finds an additional 4 hours each week for honor guard practice and details.

"I was told that some deployed locations have an honor guard, so I told myself if there was one here I would join," said Green, standing at attention with pride in his eyes and unbreakable military bearing. "I like the discipline that it instills and the traditions that I, now as a member, represent."

While joining the honor guard was predetermined for Green, that was not the case for Airman 1st Class Alexandra Butler, 380th EMXS munitions storage crew member and honor guard member.

"I actually volunteered because I had asked Staff Sgt. Green to help me with my fitness," she explained. "He said, 'Hey, since I am doing this for you, why don't you come check out honor guard?' I came out one night and absolutely loved it. I loved how much I learned and how comfortable everyone made me feel."

For Green, honor guard is about being a part of something bigger than himself.

"We pay special tribute for those who come before us while paving the way for those who will come behind us," he said. "It's a different and humbling experience doing our memorial retreats during which we name the individuals who have fallen for that month."

The reason for serving as an honor guard member is important and honorable, and one side-effect of serving together in such a capacity is friendship.

"I'm really glad I came out to do this, especially during the holiday season," said Butler, with a slight smile emerging on her face. "It made me feel more at home, more like family - like I have more of an Air Force family than I did before. So I know that when I get off work I have people I can go see and hang out with on the side that make me feel like I am at home."

To those who are thinking about joining honor guard, Butler has some advice.

"Come out and try it," she urged. "It's so easy to learn, it's fun and it's exciting. No one gives you a hard time if you can't catch on. It's a good step to learn honor guard, especially if you are interested in doing honor guard back home station where people have more experience."

For more information the 380th AEW Honor Guard opportunities email honor.guard@adab.afcent.af.mil.