The Burial at Sea

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Burial at Sea is a long standing maritime tradition and, just like a committal service on land, there are certain procedures to follow. Picture courtesy of navaltoday.com. It’s not just military members, Coast Guard or Merchant Mariners, there are also law enforcement and firefighting departments that have water-dedicated sections and burial at sea for the members of those sections would …

The Honor Guard Equipment Checklist

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These are suggestions for your team. Ceremonial Equipment 9.5′ flagstaffs with spade finial 4′ x 5.5′ (4′ x 6′) Indoor/Parade fringed flags US (0216) State Military Service Law enforcement Fire (7784) EMS (7625) POW/MIA (7724) Colors harnesses (the best for training) Colors harnesses (the best for performance) Flag Stands These are beautiful These are economical (AMG) Floor Stand Adapters for …

The DrillMaster Practice Ceremonial Fire Axe

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I thought the name, DrillMaster iAxe or iAx, (like the DrillMaster iDrill Rifle, because you, “I” make it) might just look weird, so I went with the longer name. Still, it works. The ceremonial fire axe is the usual weapon of choice for firefighter colors teams. However, firefighters are paramilitary and some teams do use the traditional rifle. Other units …

To Post or Present, That is the Question

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Geared more toward honor guard units, but cadets can also use this information. With apologies to William Shakespeare… Color teams have a choice, based on ceremony location, size of the area (room or outside area), size of the audience, and time limit, as to whether the team should “Show-n-Go” or post. The Show-n-Go Equipment needed: two sets of colors, floor stands, …

AZ "Hotshots"

When to Drape the Deceased

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My firefighting friends in California had a great question for me. Here are my thoughts. What a tragedy to lose a fellow firefighter, emergency medic, or law enforcement officer, let alone a member of the armed forces. However, it does happen and all too often. Since we know that death comes to us all and that it is just a …