Malmstrom Honor Guard graduates 2010 class

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Dillon White
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs Office
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  Twenty-three Total Force Airmen graduated from the Malmstrom Base Honor Guard's annual training class Nov. 5 and conducted a full-honors funeral demonstration for more than 50 attendees including wing leadership and the Honorable Michael Winters, mayor of the City of Great Falls.

This year was the first year that members of the Montana Air National Guard from the 120th Fighter Wing trained with Airmen from Air Force Global Strike Command's first Minuteman ICBM base.

"They have been invited in the past, but our schedules are very different," said Master Sgt. Jeffrey Parker, Malmstrom Base Honor Guard superintendent. "Fortunately we were able to get three of them on orders this year and they're going to take back what they learned this week and train their unit."

The week of training was a condensed version of the Air Education and Training Command-accredited honors and protocol course taught to Malmstrom Airmen last year by certified instructors from Bolling Air Force Base, DC.

"We teach strictly by the book using their criteria to train pall bearers, firing party and colors," Sergeant Parker said. "We just don't have the eight days. Our course is a little more flexible, but they don't get AETC credit. However, the graduates do receive a graduation certificate."

Among the MANG graduates was Tech. Sgt. Kimberly Robertson from the 120th Maintenance Group. The sergeant carried the Montana flag in the colors team on graduation day.

"It was extremely intense," said Sergeant Robertson. "We started with a manual loaded with information and we must have done at least two hundred pushups the first day in addition to learning facing movements and gaining an understanding of the ceremonies we would perform throughout the week."

Despite being nervous at first, because she was a National Guard member attending training at an active duty base, she said her apprehension quickly faded.

"It wasn't about Guard or active duty at all," Sergeant Robertson said. "It was a team effort and that is exactly how we trained and learned. It was wonderful -- a great experience."

To perfect the many movements that ceremonial guardsmen perform during details, from carrying caskets to handling M-14 rifles, the trainers also focused on physical fitness during the week of training.

"It is a must we stay physically fit," said Senior Airman Miriam Santiago, 12th Missile Squadron missile chef. "Every movement must be sharp and crisp."

She said she joined the Air Force just to be a ceremonial guardsman and her role as a flight trainer is a rewarding source of continual personal growth. She was also very proud of her students.

"From a trainer's perspective, we all learned how to train more efficiently while the trainees learned how to perform. It's a lot of information and they took it all in well. We strive for perfection and that's where we're at today."

While the week of training held many firsts for the students, it marks the final graduation Sergeant Parker will emcee as he prepares to retire from the Air Force in December.

"As a master sergeant retiring from the Air Force, I can't think of a better way to depart from the Air Force," he said. "The people I've worked with over the last three years, the young Airmen, as I mentioned before -- are the best of the best. They're very dedicated and it's just an honor to work with these Airmen."

The superintendent also spoke about the behind-the-scenes work the Airmen do and other sacrifices they make to ensure military honors are rendered regardless of inclement weather. Last year, the Malmstrom Base Honor Guard conducted 82 funeral details and supported 120 base and community events.

Malmstrom's ceremonial guardsmen are also in charge of the second largest area of responsibility in the Air Force covering 157,000 square miles, the entire state of Montana and Park County, Wyo.

"Most people see us at base events during duty hours and don't understand most of what we do is during after-duty hours, or on weekends and they don't see what these members go through, from personal sacrifices -- time away from family - to long drives on weekends to places like Miles City or Eureka to do a funeral detail.

"Those are sacrifices not everyone sees and it's a tremendous honor to work with this group of folks who are so dedicated to promoting the Air Force and the Air Force core values."

After receiving their graduation certificates, the graduates left Medal of Honor Park officially prepared to honor the fallen.