JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- The Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Honor Guard hosted an open house July 19, 2021.
The event allowed Airmen to see the behind the scenes of the Honor Guard to encourage participation in the Honor Guard program.
“This was the first event of its kind we’ve held here at JBER and the first I’ve heard of for the Honor Guard program,” said U.S. Air Force Tech Sgt. Rian Hudson, the JBER Honor Guard program manager. “We held the event to show what we do and to advertise our skills for the community.”
Honor guardsmen demonstrated various aspects of their job and instructed visiting Airmen on their procedures, allowing them to get a hands-on perspective of the program.
“We used the theme ‘Be an Honor Guardsmen for a Day’ to let Airmen get a feel of what it’s like to be in the program,” Hudson said. “It was an opportunity to highlight what we can do and the mission we perform. It really helped us get the message out.”
Throughout the event, Honor Guardsmen reiterated the impact and importance they have across the base and community to encourage Airmen to consider joining.
“We as the Honor Guard are a representation of the U.S. Air Force,” said U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Richard Rosario, a JBER Honor Guardsman. “When we attend a funeral, it is one of the best ways to ensure the families know we respect and honor their family member for their service. This program is not about us, it’s about something greater than us and I really want people to see that and want to join.”
As the event came to a close, Hudson said he hoped the event would allow Airmen to have a clearer picture of what the Honor Guard entails and garner applications from those in attendance.
“Overall, I feel like the event was a resounding success,” Hudson said. “We had a lot of Airmen as well as support from the community. I hope we have this event annually to highlight what we can do and introduce members of the community to our mission.”
For more information about joining the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Honor Guard or to request support for an event, email honorguard2@us.af.mil or call 907-552-2252.