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SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. - Five men march slowly and
purposefully between the crowd as they advance from the back of the
room toward the front stage. Their blue caps hide the men's faces as
they look down. Four of them hold fully-functioning Garand M-1
rifles with bayonets attached to their tips. The other holds a long
saber. Once at the front, the five men dressed in blues separate
from their straight line. The riflemen stand in a circle around the
other airman.
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U.S. Air Force Honor Guard drill team members perform for airmen
during a Leadership Friday event at Shaw Air Force Base Community
Activity Center, S.C., March 15, 2013. The drill team is the
traveling component of the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard. Their mission
is to promote the Air Force mission by showcasing drill performances
at public and military venues to recruit, retain and inspire airmen.
The team performs drill movements with a fully-functional M1 rifle
in intricate, constantly changing formations. (U.S. Air Force photo
by Senior Airman Amber E.N. Jacobs)
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Moving very precisely, the riflemen circle the other man.
The rifles clap noisily as the airmen hit the butt of the
rifle to the ground, spin them around in their hands and
trade them with each other with sharp movements. As the
riflemen move, their tempo speeds up. The weapons flip over
the head of the airman in the center and the riflemen's
bayonets circle around his throat without touching, but
throughout the entire performance the center airman never
flinches or loses composure. The riflemen never miss a beat
or fumble as they move with crisp movements.
The U.S.
Air Force Honor Guard Drill Team performed a weapons
demonstration like the one described to recruit new drill
team members and to inspire airmen here, March 15.
Col. Lance Kildron, 20th Fighter Wing vice commander,
observed the demonstration.
After the performance he
exclaimed, "It was amazing! That was the first time I have
been honored with their presence and it was an outstanding
performance."
Kildron wasn't the only one amazed with
the drill team's performance.
"I thought it was
awesome," said Senior Airman Marcella Hengehold, 9th Air
Force knowledge operations manager. "I liked their precision
and their concentration. They were on cue, and there was no
loss of concentration."
The 23 airmen who make up
this unique team spend hours every duty day perfecting and
honing their skills.
"A duty day is 10 hours long,"
said Staff Sgt. Joshua Vanderbeck, U.S. Air Force Honor
Guard noncommissioned officer in charge of training. "We
start the day with physical training, and we try to
integrate strength training with cardio."
Physical
training is an important aspect of the drill team because
the rifles they spin and toss weigh approximately 11 pounds,
said Vanderbeck.
"We compare doing a drill to doing a
five kilometer race," said the native of Charlotte, N.C.
"The amount of endurance and stamina you need to do a drill
is roughly the same."
After physical training, the
team spends time practicing drills.
"We practice for
six to eight hours a day," he continued. "We will practice
individual moves. We also practice in formations and run
through different sequences to perfect the drill. You have
to perfect the moves because if you throw them right you
won't hurt yourself."
When a rifle is thrown
incorrectly injuries can occur like hurt wrists, broken
fingers, sore hands and small cuts. Currently, one of
Vanderbeck's fingers is broken.
"It is one of the
hardest things I have ever done in my career," Vanderbeck
said. "To be at this level, you have to put in hours and
hours of work. To become one of the best you have to put
time into your own schedule and hours after work. Sometimes
you work through lunch trying to perfect movements."
Despite the difficulties of their job, the members of the
team love their duty.
"I love my job very much," said
Airman 1st Class Brandon Clement, U.S. Air Force Honor Guard
drill team member. "I love what we do. The honor guard's
main mission is at Arlington National Cemetery in
Washington, and it is to lay fallen troops to rest. I think
it is awesome that I get the opportunity to do that. It is
an honor that I get to serve their families, and I never
thought I would be doing anything like that."
"I also
love that we travel and inspire individuals," he added.
The drill team is the traveling component of the U.S.
Air Force Honor Guard. Their mission is to promote the Air
Force mission by showcasing drill performances to recruit,
retain and inspire airmen, according to the U.S. Air Force
Honor Guard website.
This includes performing
demonstrations at places like schools.
"My favorite
part of being on the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard is
performing at high schools," said Vanderbeck. "It reaffirms
why I do what I do. You can really tell that they love what
you are doing and you are impacting young individuals."
Vanderbeck first saw the drill team when he was in high
school which influenced his decision to join the military.
"I was in Junior ROTC and thought I was just going to do
it while I was in high school and have fun, but when I saw
the drill team it made me want to do something better with
my life," Vanderbeck said. "I love being on the drill team
because I get to inspire people like I was."
Others
on the team saw the drill team after they already joined the
military like Clement did.
"When I saw them perform
I saw that they were flawless," he said as he remembered a
video he saw during basic training. "They were an awe
inspiring group of people."
Once they joined the
team, members learned various important lessons.
"The
drill team has taught me a lot about commitment and
believing in myself," Clement said. "Before I joined the
military I wasn't really confident in who I was or what I
could do. Since I made the drill team it has given me a
sense of accomplishment and has shown me that I can actually
do it if I put my mind to it. It has taught me how to
perceive and overcome."
Other lessons included
teamwork and trust, Vanderbeck said.
"We are feet
from each other throwing around a weapon with a knife on the
end," he added. "If we don't work as a team, weapons hit the
ground and people get hurt. So, teamwork is vital for the
team. It really comes down to trusting the people you work
with and trusting yourself."
The trust between
members allows them to toss the weapons over and around each
other without flinching, even when the bayonets are resting
inches from their throats. Their ability to maintain
military bearing and discipline despite the potential danger
contribute to the success of their performances, which can
be enjoyed worldwide as the team travels from base to base.
By USAF Airman 1st Class Krystal Jeffers
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2013
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