Travis Honor Guard trains northern California agencies

  • Published
  • By Nick DeCicco
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Master Sgt. Carol Robideaux, 349th Memorial Affairs Squadron, thumbed through stacks of binders filled with notes, cards and letters.

Inside them, she said there are documents of appreciation and thanks from the community for times members of the Travis Honor Guard have performed services for them.

The job requires long hours and an aggressive schedule, but Robideaux said she doesn't mind.

"I can't explain the feeling," she said about seeing, hearing and reading the reaction from family members for whom the unit performs honors. "It's such a heartfelt feeling for experience. It shows us the lasting impact on the family."

Recently, the Travis Honor Guard, which can do as many as 15 funeral services in a day, had the opportunity to train several Northern California public agencies including the Novato Police Department, Tracy Police Department, Gilroy Police Department and the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department during a weeklong session at the Travis Honor Guard building.

Peter Richert, Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department captain, said his department had "never had any kind of formal training" when it came to honor guard duties.

"It's always good to have more tools in your box," Richert said. "Instead of a last-minute thing, we said, 'Let's call somebody and get some help.' It's a valuable asset."

Richert said that although firemen from the department have died in the past, that's not the only time his department is called upon for funeral services. "We have units around us who have lost people," Richert said. "They might have 12 members on their honor guard, not enough to do a complete honors funeral, so we'll share resources. We've been asked multiple times to assist with line-of-duty-death services."

He said he was impressed by the work the Travis Honor Guard did during the retirement for his brother, a lieutenant colonel who ended his career at Travis.

Travis Honor Guard has a wide area of responsibility, Robideaux said, including the Bay Area, Sacramento area, Fresno region and four national cemetaries.

Among the duties the Travis Airmen perform are firing parties, three-gun salutes to a deceased member; serving as pall bearers, which involves carrying the casket for active-duty members and retirees only; ceremonies to present the nation's colors such as retirements, changes of command, parades and flag unfurlings before sporting events; and cordons such as arching swords above an arriving dignitary or for the military ball.

Officer Pat Sullivan with the Gilroy Police Department said the October training marked the second time this year members of the city's staff participated in such training at Travis. He said the department has been forming its own team for as long as eight years.

"We were honored to be allowed to come up there and train with (the Travis) Honor Guard," Sullivan said.

In addition to training regional units, Robideaux said the Travis team works most days of the year, including holidays. She said 24 people staff the shop on any given day to perform honors or color ceremonies.

The honor guard takes senior airmen and below for the program. There are some hurdles to make the team, including not being on a medical profile or having had laser eye surgery, Robideaux said.

For more information about the Travis Honor Guard, call Robideaux at 424-5063.