JBER Honor Guard Members visit local school, demonstrate proper flag folding, respects

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jack Sanders
  • JBER PA
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  Members of the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson honor guard, and fellow honor guard members visited a local elementary school Oct. 18 to demonstrate proper flag folding techniques and instruct children on how to display the proper respects to Old Glory.

Students of Abbot Loop Elementary School got a surprise when members of the JBER honor guard marched into their classroom and began folding and unfolding the flag.
The honor guard demonstrated both the six man flag fold and two man flag fold techniques to the students.

"A six man flag fold is the typical flag folding ceremony you would see at a funeral, while the two man flag folding ceremony would be used in a case where the remains were cremated or missing," said Staff Sgt. Kristen Griswold.

Between each fold the honor guard took time to introduce themselves to the students and take questions ranging from military service to personal beliefs surrounding the flag.

"How did you learn to do that," one student from Mrs. Bell's 3rd-grade class asked in awe after watching the team perform a six man flag fold.

"We all had to join the base honor guard first," said Airman 1st Class Timothy Washington, JBER base honor guard member. "It took years of practicing too," he said.

"Base honor guard members symbolize the Air Force to America and foreign dignitaries at public ceremonies in the local area," according to www.honorguard.af.mil. "They participate in Air Force and joint service arrival and departure ceremonies for the president, foreign heads of state, and other national or international dignitaries. It is their responsibility to perform military funeral honors for Air Force active-duty, retired personnel, and veterans according to prescribing publication."

Since the Air Force's earliest years, the Air Force Honor Guard has led the way as representatives of all Airmen serving around the world.