Manages and directs activities of the U.S. Air Force (USAF) honor guard including recruiting, training, and commanding troops for official ceremonies, parades, and other diverse ceremonial functions and military honors as directed. Ceremonies include Armed Forces full honor arrival ceremonies conducted at the White House for the President and foreign heads of state, Joint Service and Air Force ceremonies, USAF precision rifle drill team exhibitions, and Joint Service and Air Force funerals at Arlington National Cemetery and in the national capital region.
Plans and organizes USAF honor guard activities. Determines requirements for ceremonial participation within the Washington DC area. Plans and establishes training programs, including marching drills, manuals of arms training, individual and group instruction, and military training. Organizes and supervises training of the USAF precision rifle drill team and various specialty details, including color bearers, firing part members, and pallbearers. Determines personnel requirements for honor guard activities, including supply, orderly room, unit armory, dormitory management, and initial and continuation training. Responsible for planning for and acquiring equipment, supplies, space, and other facilities required for honor guard functions. Determines funds needed to support unit activities, and prepares budget justification. Develops, reviews, and improves work methods and procedures. Establishes performance standards and evaluates the initial and continuing qualification of honor guard personnel. Directs USAF honor guard activities. Directs operation of the honor guard in military and quasi-military formations, including formal arrival ceremonies, military reviews, parades, memorial ceremonies, funerals, military and government functions, and military honors directed by Headquarters (HQ) USAF. Supervises training of honor guard personnel in technical aspects, functions, and movements of marching formations and specialized ceremonial details. Included are color teams; firing parties; pallbearers; manuals of arms; flag staff manuals; operation of orderly room, supply, dormitory, and weapons armory; and monitoring the status of equipment and weapons maintenance. Inspects honor guard activities to determine adequacy of training, technical performance, and operation of the orderly room, supply section, unit training, dormitory management, and weapons armory. Recommends action to correct deficiencies. Coordinates USAF honor guard activities. Advises commander on the capabilities and use of the honor guard. Coordinates with staff offices such as the Military District of Washington for Air Force participation in Joint Service ceremonies; manpower; comptroller; public affairs; mortuary affairs to support funerals; and personnel to plan honor guard activities. Coordinates requests for honor guard support with interested agencies and higher authority to accomplish unit mission objectives. Performs in USAF honor guard ceremonial functions. Functions as commander-of-troops, escort officer, Air Force member of Joint Service Honor Guard staffs, officer-in-charge of Air Force funerals and ceremonies, commander-of-troops for ceremonies at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, commander of Air Force military functions and formations involving the honor guard, and as directed by HQ USAF. Advises others as an authority on military ceremonies, functions, and policies in both Air Force and Joint Service ceremonies.