Shaw honor guard trains South Carolina Civil Air Patrol members

  • Published
  • By Judy Lewis
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. (ACCNS) --  While most of Team Shaw was enjoying a weekend away from work, several Shaw honor guard members here volunteered their time to help spit polish a new South Carolina Civil Air Patrol program.

In a joint initiative between the S.C. CAP, the Shaw honor guard and the 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs office, 20 members of the newly formed S.C. CAP honor guard visited Shaw July 31 and Aug. 1 to polish their skills and enhance their knowledge of basic funeral honors, pall bearer duties and appropriate flag-folding methods.

According to 1st Lt. Steve Revis, CAP honor guard officer in charge, there is a national CAP program for honor guards; however, South Carolina did not have one until a unit was formed in November 2003. Members have been honing skills since.

"The training we received this weekend has been far beyond our highest expectations," Lieutenant Revis said. "The Shaw honor guard members are professional and superb."

Tech. Sgt. Christopher Benjamin, Shaw honor guard flight chief was equally impressed with the cadets.

They “are hard-working and quick learners," he said. “I've been impressed with their work ethic and desire to learn."

Sergeant Benjamin kept a sharp eye on the cadets as they stepped into place beside a flag-draped coffin. He prepared a video for the team to take with them, which will aid in further training as the cadets continue to practice.

The S.C. CAP honor guard is comprised of two flights, a training flight and a rifle flight. Members begin in the training flight and as they gain experience they may audition for the rifle flight. Team members range in age from 12 through adult.

According to Lieutenant Revis, the CAP team intends to train to the highest standards in order to enter national competitions with other CAP honor guards. In addition, they plan to participate in school drug-prevention programs in the hopes of making a difference in their communities. Plans to make the weekend training at Shaw an annual event are being discussed with the goal of adding more luster to the team.

The CAP is a non-profit auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force with more than 64,000 cadets. Although the CAP program has traditionally been associated with search and rescue missions and still flies 95 percent of all federal inland SAR missions as directed by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, its reach is more wide-spread. Disaster relief and communications, as well as counter-drug and homeland security missions, are additional duties of the CAP.

The CAP also provides an environment for developing leadership skills, and trains Americans through aviation and aerospace education. The S.C. CAP honor guard is just one facet by which members can develop skills while providing a service to their community.