Photo By Andria Allmond | Alabama enlisted volunteers receive a coin from Air National Guard Command Chief...... read more read more
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MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- For their service during the 2016 Order of the Sword ceremony, enlisted volunteers received a coin from Chief Master Sgt. James W. Hotaling, command chief master sergeant of the Air National Guard.
Dating back to the Medieval Ages, the Order of the Sword was founded as a means for 1500s-era military personnel to give thanks to their commanders. Now considered a time-honored tradition in the Air National Guard, the ceremony is the enlisted corps’ top honor that can be bestowed upon an officer.
“You are now part of history,” said Hotaling, speaking at the Renaissance Hotel here. “When you watch the ceremony and see all the main players with swords flashing and bagpipes playing, most people won’t realize that it was every one of you who made this happen.”
Hotaling personally distributed the coins and shook the hands of more than a dozen Air National Guard members from Alabama. Other volunteers traveled from as far as Florida, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Washington D.C., New York and California to participate.
“This will last a lifetime,” Hotaling said. “You’re giving up a weekend to be here, but you will always be part of it and you need to know that Jim Hoteling is grateful, and I’m going to give you each a personal coin.”
For Staff Sgt. Todd Bennett, an F-16 crew chief with the Alabama Air National Guard, the last thing he expected was to receive a coin for his service.
“Before today I didn’t know the Order of the Sword existed, but it’s a chance to do something for my country, and meet other service members from all over,” Bennett said. “The coin is something to remember this by. It seems when you expect a coin you don’t get one, but when you don’t expect it then you get one.”
| Date Taken: | 04.16.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 04.18.2016 16:02 |
| Story ID: | 195703 |
| Location: | MONTGOMERY, AL, US |
| Web Views: | 101 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, ANG Order of the Sword Volunteers Receive Surprise Gift, by Andria Allmond, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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