ARLINGTON, Va. -- The U.S. Space Force enlisted 16 new Guardians on Aug. 30 to stand up the Space Force's Ceremonial Honor Guard program; each member was intentionally boarded and selected to serve as the program's initial cadre.
“Teamwork, professionalism, excellence – honor guard members represent all these qualities,” said Katharine Kelley, Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Human Capital. “We are proud to stand up a service-specific guard who will soon render military honors for our Nation’s veterans and fulfill joint requirements.”
While it is a Department of Defense requirement that each service have the capability to render military honors, an honor guard also serves as a showcase of military service to the American public.
“The Space Force has been laying the foundation of its history and heritage for almost four years now. The honor guard is an important piece to representing who we are and what we do for our nation,” Kelley said.
The future stand-up of the Space Force Honor Guard is also a big step toward creating positions for enlisted Guardians to professionally develop outside of their career field.
“The honor guard program, alongside other special duties, will allow our Guardians to take a step away from their career field to gain a fresh perspective,” said Chief Master Sgt. Abifarin Scott, Chief, Space Force Enlisted Force Development. “Our enlisted Guardians must be well-rounded to be better leaders and space operators.”
After completing a 12-to-24-month rotation with the honor guard, this initial cadre will bring lessons learned and experiences with them into the operational Space Force and train into a new career field.
The Space Force Honor Guard will begin rendering military honors and representing the USSF at public events soon, to include the Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force's Change of Responsibility scheduled for Sept. 15.