Honor guard NCOIC passes baton

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Mike Tryon
  • 90th Missile Wing Public Affairs
F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. --  The Warren Honor Guard provides military funeral honors to veterans, retirees and active-duty members who live in parts of Wyoming, Nebraska and Colorado. Its mission is to represent Airmen to the American public and the world.

Tech. Sgt. Devin Carter, NCO in charge of the honor guard for the past two years, will leave Warren soon, but he is confident in his successor.

"In my 28 years in the Air Force I have never seen a better and more professional honor guard," Col. Bryant Anderson, 90th Operations Group commander, said.

"Tech. Sgt. Devin Carter did a superior job as NCOIC of the base honor guard," Col. Greg Tims, 90th Missile Wing commander, said. "Whether proudly displaying our nation's colors, or carrying a veteran to their resting place, the honor guard is full of the finest professional Airmen, NCOs and officers our wing has to offer. Every time I see them perform, and I mean every time, it is awe inspiring."

Sergeant Carter's replacement, Staff Sgt. Fredrick Stewart, 90th Forces Support Squadron, will have a few challenges ahead of him once he assumes the role of NCOIC of the honor guard program.

"Manning will always be an issue with the honor guard," Sergeant Carter said. "But if anyone is up to the task, it's Sergeant Stewart."

"My most memorable event while in the honor guard is rebuilding the base's membership from 12 active participants to 23 active participants," Sergeant Carter said. "We have a total of 53 members right now."

Sergeant Stewart has experience with the honor guard from when he was stationed in Guam, and he is also a certified trainer who was trained by the Air Force Honor Guard, said Sergeant Carter. He added he is confident Sergeant Stewart will gain and maintain volunteers.

In order to volunteer people need to get the permission of their supervisor, first sergeant and their commander. Sergeant Carter said anyone who has favorable information in their military records can volunteer.

Aside from funerals, some of the duties volunteers perform are flag training for the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts and the annual Flag Day with the Elks Lodge and local Veterans of Foreign Wars. They also place flags on the graves of those buried in the base cemetery, Sergeant Carter said.

Sergeant Carter said he is ready to move down to Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, where he hopes to continue serving as part of the honor guard team.

"I want to give a special thank you to Chief Master Sgt. Tammy Elliott, 20th Air Force command chief," Sergeant Carter said. "She told me that serving on the honor guard would enhance my career and would be a great management tool, and she was right."

Anyone who wants to volunteer for the honor guard can contact Sergeant Fredrick Stewart by e-mail, Fredrick.Stewart@warren.af.mil, or call 773-2686. The honor guard team practices Wednesdays and Fridays from 2 to 4:30 p.m.