NCJ Number
203367
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 30 Issue: 11 Dated: November 2003 Pages: 62,64-68,70
Date Published
2003
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This article describes the ways in which police academy basic training camp attendees learn how to conduct an honor guard funeral.
Abstract
Nationally, there has been a heightened interest in police honor guards. The article explains how an honor guard unit was formed in Goshen, IN, following the death of a law enforcement officer in 1998. In order to honor his memory, 13 police officers in Goshen volunteered to form an honor guard unit and act as instructors for the police academy’s basic training camp. Noting that a need exists for specific honor guard training because the skills needed for law enforcement and the skills needed for honor guard are not correlated, the article describes 5-day honor guard training at the basic training camp. While the first day at honor guard training camp focuses on positions, movements, and marching, the second day addresses the role of the commanders and squad leaders, manual of arms, casket watch, and casket movement. Flag law, flag etiquette, and exercises in color guard comprise the activities on the third day of honor guard training camp, and the fourth day includes reviews, funeral protocols, honors funerals, flag folds, and firing party. The fifth and last day of the training camp consists of assignments for a simulated funeral. Actual funeral details are the most difficult part of the burial process. After police academy training graduation, students should be capable of doing any detail needed at a full honors funeral. Honor guard duties are a way of saying thank you to fallen officers for all they have done.