With reverence, respect: Tinker Airmen participate in two-week Honor Guard training session Published Oct. 17, 2014 By Kelly White Photographer TINKER AIR FORCE BASE - Okla. -- "On behalf of the President of the United States, (the United States Air Force, the United States Navy, the United States Army or the United States Marine Corps), and a grateful nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one's honorable and faithful service." Those words must be rehearsed over and over before saying them with reverence to a grieving mother, spouse or child who just lost their loved one. Learning to properly present flags at funerals of fallen military members or retirees is just one of the many aspects of which an Honor Guard member volunteer learns during training sessions. The Honor Guard's two-week training class is offered four times a year, once each quarter. Led by Tech. Sgt. Matt McCauley, non-commissioned officer in charge, and flight leaders Tech. Sgt. Kerwin Whitfield and Staff Sgt. Michael Helsdingen, the trainees receive quality instruction in the main areas of Honor Guard service. Most of the Honor Guard trainees are volunteers from units across the base. Sergeant McCauley highly encourages people to volunteer, saying being a part of the Honor Guard is an experience to grow as an Airman. "When they come here, they don't realize it at first, but they go out and do these [funeral] details and they see the way the family reacts to them and then all of a sudden they feel there's a greater purpose in what we do," Sergeant McCauley said. "We start from the very basics like how to stand at attention and how to salute. Everything is different than how they were taught in basic training. We have a different way of doing things." The Honor Guard's primary mission is military funeral services. They serve 38,000 square miles of Oklahoma, performing approximately 600 funerals a year. The trainees learn each step of a funeral ceremony -- from the moment the hearse arrives at the cemetery to the razor-sharp movement of the flag-folding over the casket, the flag presentation, the playing of "Taps" and finally to the breathtaking firing party. Honor Graduate Award Winner Senior Airman Taylor Hill, of the 552nd Air Control Network Squadron, said he always knew he wanted to join the Honor Guard. Since being in the training class, he said "it feels good to bring a little joy to a family who is sending their loved one out." The training is very repetitive. Teams go over every step and hand gesture precisely and rehearse correctly moving the 300-pound practice casket multiple times during the course. "The training is totally can't miss. You have to do it this way," said Sergeant McCauley. "But on the other side, everybody is free to be themselves. It's a lot like a family. We all click together and people find a way to fit in, no matter what." Training also consists of Color Guard detail and flag-folding ceremonies. The types of ceremonies Honor Guard members perform can come in a variety of forms. For example, a funeral ceremony might be for a cremation as opposed to a casket burial. During the course, the trainees are taught as many ceremony combinations as time allows. Training is also based on how well and how fast the class learns the routines. Their focus is to emphasize the main points of the class and to perfect them. When the trainees graduate, they learn other variations of ceremonies once they are with the flight and can learn more from the more experienced Honor Guard members. "It's like a team game. If one person isn't doing their job, then everybody looks bad. You don't want anybody on your team to not be good at what they do," said Sergeant McCauley. The units decide how the graduates will serve their Honor Guard commitment. They can either serve a six month consecutive term or a 12 month commitment for two weeks on, four weeks off, for a total of nine rotations. Airman 1st Class Nicholas Poultney, with the 552nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, said the class was an "awesome experience" and he feels a lot of pride in being able to participate. Both Airmen Hill and Poultney credit other people in their primary shop areas for encouraging them to join the Honor Guard. For those interested in volunteering with the Tinker Honor Guard, speak with your first sergeant. The next training class will be Nov. 10-21.