Westover Honor Guard performs hundreds of funerals

This year, the Westover Honor Guard has performed services at a staggering 442 funerals, with 73 in June alone.

Staff Sgt. Abdul Addy, a fitness specialist with the 439^th Force Support Squadron, is also a full-time member of the honor guard. “It’s a very rewarding feeling knowing that a fallen hero's family was taken care of,” Addy said.

Addy is the NCOIC of training in the Westover Honor Guard.The details that each member performs during a given ceremony can differ, meaning each member must be sharp at each one. Members will rotate roles between bugle player, firing party, folding the flag and presenting the flag to the family.

He said that there are no set teams that perform together every time, showcasing the talent and versatility of the team.

“We pair people where we see fit due to experience level and time managements,” he said.

Westover has a staff of seven full-timers and 12 part-timers.

For a veteran’s funeral, there are two or three honor guardsmen who perform the ceremony, and for a retiree, there are seven honor guardsmen.

Addy said it never too tough to attend so many funerals back-to-back due to the Airmen on the team that he describes as "top-notch."

Like any performance, mental preparation is necessary.

“I get a little nervous, but that helps me to be at my best performance,” he said.

Nerves, however, aren’t the only thing Addy feels while doing these ceremonies. He said he feels an overwhelming sense of pride being able to do what he does, which makes it all worth it.

Senior Airman Mathieu Toczek, an aerial porter with the 42^nd Aerial Port Squadron, is also a member of the Westover Honor Guard. August will complete his first year as a member of the honor guard, and he has already performed roughly 125 ceremonies.

"The family is very appreciative of what we do," Toczek said. "Being able to be the last military memory of these heroes that served our nation, is extremely rewarding.