Fall 2007 - Alaska - Department of Military and Veterans Affairs ...

New MilitaryFuneral Honors Team
Story and photos by Sergeant Karima Turner, DMVA Public Affairs
Respect and
Precision.
Members of the Alaska
Army National Guard
present the colors at the
Alaska Federation of
Natives Convention in
2006.
High Honors.
Escorted by riflemen
from the Elmendorf Air
Force Base Honor Guard,
Chief Warrant Officer
Steven Ernst carries the
American flag followed
by Specialist Sean
Francis with the Alaska
flag. Both Soldiers are
members of the Alaska
Army National Guard
Honor Guard Team.
CAMP DENALI, Alaska … Although the Department
of Defense has been funding military funeral honors
programs since 2000, for the first time in the history of
the Alaska Army National Guard, a military funeral
honors team has been put together utilizing this funding.
“This is the first team in the Alaska Army Guard to
use the national funds, so we’re excited about the opportunities
this brings,” said Rod Julian, Military Funeral
Honors coordinator. “Alaska has 67,000 veterans – that’s
more per capita than any other state – so this program
benefits Soldiers across the state.”
Veterans with honorable military discharges and
retired veterans with honorable military discharges are
eligible for military honors. The current military funeral
honors team of Alaska Army National Guard Soldiers was
organized by a specialist in 1st Battalion, 207th Aviation.
“I started the current team for the Alaska Guard
because I felt it was the honorable thing to do,” said
Specialist Shawn Francis, of 1st Battalion, 207th Aviation
and new Military Funeral Honors non-commissioned
officer in charge. “Leadership saw the need to establish a
constant team and hired Mr. Julian to run the program
and make sure it became stable within the Guard. He was
gracious enough to keep me on the team as the NCOIC.”
“We will continue to present military honors all over
the state, to include rural Alaska villages,” Julian added.
Currently, the team has six Soldiers who serve on the
Alaska Military Honor Guard, but Francis hopes to soon
have a full team of 13 Soldiers on orders.
“The Soldiers will be trained according to the Old
Guard standards – the same training as guards of the
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier,” Francis said. “This fall,
we are hoping to send some of the team to training, which
will be held either at the Professional Educational Center
in Little Rock or a remote training site in North Dakota.”
The team stays sharp
by regularly practicing drill
and ceremony at color guard
and change of command
ceremonies.
“Prior to the funeral we
get everyone together and do
flag-folding training, casket
and rifle practice, and we
also go over wear and
appearance of uniforms,”
Francis said.
Although the training and
ceremony of the Military
Funeral Honors program is
by the book, the reasoning
behind it is more than that.
“It’s the right thing to do
for Soldiers who have served
their country,” Francis said.
“We remind their families
that their loved ones are not
forgotten; it’s our final thank
you for their service.” ■
Fall 2007 WARRIORS Ready to Serve
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