Military drill teams have a long, proud, and storied history that dates back to the time of the Revolutionary War when Baron Frederick Von Stueben was employed to help to change the way the Continental Army worked while fighting the American War for Independence.
A military specialist, Von Steuben taught the Army how to think, react and fight as a unit and the importance of camaraderie, and how cadence could be used as an effective way to heighten and strengthen it.
In short, he taught the army how to march and is regarded as one of the forefathers of the military band and drill team.
Fast forward a couple of centuries, and the first Marine drill team, The Silent Drill Platoon, performed what was supposed to be a single show in nineteen forty-eight.
However, the show proved to be so popular that the Marines based in Washington DC, began to make the drill show a regular part of their parades.
The other branches of the service saw how popular the show was, and it wasn’t long before each of their Honor Guards had established their own drill teams and began to regularly perform their own shows and exhibitions.
This led to an intense, but friendly competition between the services that culminated in the Joint Service Drill Team Exhibition, in which they regularly test their mettle and ability against each other. The exhibition pushes each drill team to their limits and encourages them to use all of their skills to be the best that absolutely can be.
Trying to determine which branch has the best drill team is always difficult, as every honor guard is composed of dedicated, hard-working individuals who perfect and perform an incredible variety of drill-based disciplines.
And even though the drill team that always seems to be first and foremost in the thoughts of anyone not in the service, is the oldest and longest-serving and is part of the Marine Corps, on April Fourteenth, two thousand and twelve, the Honor Guard of the USAF finally proved what every Aiman and Airwoman who has ever served have always known. That the drill team of the USAF’s Honor Guard was, and is, the best of the best.
What Is The Difference Between Base And Air Force Honor Guard?
Base Honor Guards are serving members of, and are usually non-commissioned officers in the USAF and are not members of the USAF Honor Guard, although they are usually chosen to serve in its ranks at some point in their military careers.
The members of the Base Honor Guard usually serve in some other capacity or profession within the service. The Base Honor Guard has a very specific function that it performs incredibly well.
The Base Honor Guard was formed to follow the funerary and ceremonial guidelines provided and established by the Air Force Honor Guard to ensure that every single serving and former member of the USAF is buried with dignity and the honor that their service warrants.
While there is little difference between the uniforms of the Base Honor Guard and the USAF Honor Guard, an easy way to differentiate the two is the color of the shirts that they wear and the wording on their shoulder arcs.
The USAF’s Honor Guard wears white shirts and their shoulder arcs read “USAF Honor Guard” while the members of the Base Honor Guard wear standard blue Air Force shirts and their shoulder arcs identify them as “Base Honor Guard”.
What Does The Air Force Honor Guard Do?
Assigned to Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington DC, the USAF Honor Guard is the official ceremonial unit of the United States Air Force. They were formed to represent the Air Force at all public and official ceremonies that require their presence abroad and in the Nation’s Capital.
The majority of their duties include wreath-laying at Arlington National Ceremony, funerary ceremonies, ceremonies designed to honor visiting dignitaries and politicians, and any and all military and Presidential occasions which the Honor Guard of every branch of the service attends.
Serving as a member of the Air Force Honor Guard is regarded as a special duty assignment within the Air Force and any member of the USAF who joins this incredibly selective unit is immediately withdrawn from all other duties for the duration of their assignment, which is usually a period of three years for personal who are drawn from other parts of the USAF and two years for trainees who have recently joined the service.
What Are The Requirements For The Air Force Honor Guard?
Any serving member of the United States Air Force can apply to join the Air Force Honor Guard, but in order to do so, potential members must conform to a strict set of physical and service conditions.
Any airman or airwoman who wishes to join the Honor Guard must have 20/20 vision or have vision that can be corrected to 20/20 with the aid of contact lenses. Male recruits must best at least five foot ten inches tall and female recruits must be at least five foot six inches tall.
Every potential member of the Honor Guard must also conform to the exceptionally high standards of grooming that the Air Force adheres to, must be of high character, have a history of notable achievement, must not have been convicted of any criminal offense under the Code of Military Justice and must also be eligible for immediate transfer.
Because of the rigorous physical and mental demands that being a member of the Honor Guard requires of its personnel, anyone who suffers from posture issues, joint or equilibrium problems, or has been diagnosed with anxiety or any form of nervous distress is considered ineligible to serve with the Honor Guard.
How Long Is the Air Force Honor Guard Technical School?
The USAF Honor Guard operates and runs its own technical school at Joint Base Anacostia Bolling in Washington DC.
Providing an airman or airwoman is considered eligible for service and is accepted by the Honor Guard, they then enter an eight week training program that teaches all incoming ceremonial guardsmen and women the demanding drill schedule and the minutiae of drill and its demands, an incredibly high level of personal and military discipline and the exceptionally high standards that the Honor Guard expects all of their serving personnel to maintain on a daily basis.
The school uses a variety of indoor and outdoor training areas that are designed to replicate and imitate Arlington National Ceremony and the areas of the Nation’s Capital where Guardsmen will be visible during the performance of their duties.
It is a demanding program and expects trainees to always be at their best and to adapt and learn as the course progresses. The Honor Guard is never short of applicants and can afford to be ruthless in both their selection and training processes.
What Are The Requirements For Base Honor Guards?
While anyone can apply to be a Base Honor Guard, the role of ceremonial guardsman demands a lot from candidates and as such expects them to be highly motivated and committed to the role that they’re applying for and that before applying, all candidates have sought and obtained the approval and permission of their commanding officer to do so and must be able to travel.
As it is a desired role within the USAF, anyone applying to be a Base Honor Guard must be willing to be the best version of themself that they can be, as they will not only be representing themselves and their fellow airmen and women, they’ll also be representing the USAF.