Photo By Philip Steiner | Airman 1st Class Derek Christian, originally from Prattville, Ala., with the 305th...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. – Airmen of the Honor Guard, 305th Air Mobility Wing, at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. strive for perfection to provide the final act of honor for those who have served in the armed forces.
In the 62,000 square mile area that this Honor Guard covers, they provide services for 35 to 40 funerals per week.
Airmen volunteer or are selected to join the Honor Guard and serve at least a four month rotation with a flight team. They proceed through a two-week indoctrination course at JB MDL, such as the one that took place, July 12.
“It is a lot of information we throw at them, but we really need them to be certified within the two and seven-man funeral sequences, because those are our largest number of funerals,” said Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jarad R. Lacovara, a native of Pennsauken, N.J., with the 87th Force Support Squadron and the Honor Guard lead trainer. “There is a lot of physical training every morning, and positive reinforcement here during the training.”
To perform their duty, the airmen take on more than just a job; they take on an emotional responsibility to the families and the service member being honored.
“You can tell the emotional toll it does take at first,” said Lacovara, “But then you get a sense of pride and every time you hand that flag over you know someone is getting a piece of their loved one back to hold on to forever. You turn that sorrow into pride.”
Through the training, novice flight members become acclimated to the demands of the team and learn to perform the movements at their best.
“When you are in front of people you want to be sharp, crisp and emotionless the entire time,” said Senior airmen Gary A. Maner, from West Columbia, S.C., with the 818th Global Mobility Squadron. “At first it is pretty emotional and nerve racking. You always want to provide respect for them by doing your job well and to be able to support them and their families.”
After this training period, the airmen get to work right away. For some, this is the first time they have been to a funeral or seen a casket.
“We have airmen who come here and have never seen a funeral before,” said Lacovara. “Before they leave here they have seen upwards of 75 to 100 funerals.”
For some, there is more at work emotionally than grief. The Honor Guard strives to make the families proud of the service member and the armed forces as well.
“The biggest thing for me personally, is when the rifle volley’s go off and taps plays,.” said Lacovara. “You can just see the emotion of the family pouring out at that moment. It isn’t always a sad moment for them, sometimes it’s a happy moment, seeing their loved ones being honored in such a profound way.”
For new Honor Guard members, this sense of pride and thankfulness is quickly seen..
“From what I have seen, 100 percent of them will always say thank you and will always come up and say ‘you guys have done a great job, we are really thankful you are here,’” said Maner. “It helps to provide a little bit of closure.”
For Lacovara, sometimes this job can be all too close to home.
“I was just the non-commissioned officer in-charge of a detail for a friend that was killed in Italy,” said Lacovara. “I handed the flag to his mother and for me it was the first time I had made that direct emotional connection. I could feel what the family felt. It is both sad and a happy moment, that’s the best way I can describe it.”
| Date Taken: | 07.12.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 07.13.2012 15:31 |
| Story ID: | 91513 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, NJ, US |
| Hometown: | PENNSAUKEN, NJ, US |
| Hometown: | WEST COLUMBIA, SC, US |
| Web Views: | 87 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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