To many in the honor guard world the term casket watch, is unknown. That is unless you are on a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or EMS honor guard member. These members have known of and performed a casket watch for many years for their fallen.
When to Drape the Deceased
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 …
Putting Things into Perspective
“We won!” Those words are great to hear and sometimes even better to yell. I knew the feeling of “winning” at drill meets throughout my four years of high school AFJROTC; my team swept every meet and so did I as the team’s commander for my last two years. It was hard work, fun and I learned quite a bit. …
Drill Teams and Honor Guards: Considering Your Hands
Competitive drill is very much a different world than the drill and ceremonies that are taught in America’s military services, unless one is part of a specialized unit. Even in JROTC, the drill taught to each class during the school day, is not to as high a standard as the competitive drill teams and color teams (why, “Color Teams“?). Minute …
Carrying a Color in the Port Position
When a rifle is in front of your body at an angle with the muzzle dissecting the left shoulder and butt stock over the right hip, that is the Port Position. If both of your hands are in the proper place, that is called Port Arms. The picture at right shows Port Arms that is more of a Marine Corps style …
How to Restart a JROTC Drill Team
DrillMaster answers a cadet’s question on restarting her school’s JROTC drill team
Operation Safety 91 (OS91)
A favorite reading and prayer of soldiers (small “S” to include everyone in military service), it is now being applied to first responders as well. Firefighters, law enforcement officers and emergency medical personnel all fight a certain kind of battle sometimes on a daily basis. And this is where the organization, Operation Safety 91, comes in. They minister and provide …