Reserve instructors offer continuity, expertise to active-duty honor guard

Published Feb. 8, 2012
By Shawn J. Jones
514th Air Mobiity Wing public affairs

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- The poise and precision of active-duty Air Force honor guard members here is no longer being jeopardized by the continuous turnover of its trainers.

Two reservists from the 514th Air Mobility Wing, Tech. Sgt. Jared Lacovara and Senior Airman Lesley Toussaint, are serving on long-term duty as trainers with the 87th Air Base Wing honor guard.

The highly rotational nature of the active-duty honor guard brings Airmen in for four-month stints.

Before Lacovara and Toussaint arrived, incoming members were trained by the Airmen they replaced. This system led to an inconsistent understanding and interpretation of official honor guard instructions.

Airmen performing the same honor guard detail were not always on the same page.

Recognizing this problem, Tech. Sgt. Gary Knight, the noncommissioned officer in charge of the active-duty honor guard, took action to fix the problem, offering the position to the two reservists.

Unlike their active-duty counterparts, Lacovara and Toussaint are not restricted to four-month rotations and will not receive orders for an involuntary change of duty stations.
The reservists were recommended to Knight by his Reserve counterpart in 514th Air Mobility Wing honor guard, Master Sgt. Leonard Werner.

"Toussaint is very motivated and driven, and Lacovara is a go-to guy who wants to do things the right way," said Werner. "They've stepped up and shined above and beyond most of our other members."

Not only do they have the intangibles needed to succeed, but they have received top-notch training with the United States Air Force Honor Guard at Bolling Air Force Base, D.C.

"These guys are disciplined, professional and know exactly what they are doing," Knight said. "This program has been taken to another level, so I want to keep them as long as I can."

In today's military organizational environment, it's not uncommon to have reservists in a position of authority over mostly active-duty Airmen, but when it happens, an adjustment period is usually required.

"There was no playing around when they got here," said Senior Airman Shyderrian Williams, an honor guard member from the 87th Medical Operations Squadron. "They fit right in with us."

Toussaint admits that he and Lacovara purposely tried to instill a serious, by-the-book emphasis in their training plan.

"The previous trainers were good, but they trained from memory, not from the book," he said. "Whenever there is a question now, they go to the book."

There is a reason the reservists take their job so seriously. While performing honor guard duties at retirements, changes of commands and other official ceremonies are important, Toussaint said the funerals of past and present military members call for honor guard members to be at their best.

"The military honors at funerals leave a lasting image of the military and the Air Force for that family related to that servicemember," he said. "It's a big responsibility."