ARPC NCO wins Team Buckley annual award

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Belinda Petersen
  • Air Reserve Personnel Center Public Affairs
BUCKLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. --  An Air Reserve Personnel Center noncommissioned officer was recognized as Team Buckley Honor Guard of the Year for 2014 during a ceremony Feb. 27 at the Summit Event Center, Aurora, Colorado.

Staff Sgt. Sean Cooper, ARPC retirements service team technician, was detailed for four months as a ceremonial guardsman with the Buckley Mile High Honor Guard at Buckley Air Force Base. His exceptional performance during this period, as well as throughout the year, garnered him the competitive annual award and an Air Force Achievement Medal.

A military honor guard is a ceremonial unit composed of volunteers who are carefully screened for their physical ability, dexterity, and attitude. Only those Airmen who are highly motivated and maintain exceptionally high standards of appearance and conduct and show aptitude for ceremonial duty are considered.

During his time as a ceremonial guardsman, he executed 98 details in four counties, spanning 3,000 miles. As such, he served as an ambassador to the general public, presenting a positive image of the United States Air Force.

Of those ceremonies, he flawlessly executed 83 military funerals honoring retired and veteran personnel. “His relentless pursuit of perfection upheld the highest standards for our nation’s time honored military traditions,” said Col. Rose M. Jourdan, commander of the 460th Mission Support Group.

One highlight of his time with the Mile High Honor Guard included being hand-selected as lead rifleman for a special Patriot Day gun salute ceremony that honored victims of the September 11th terrorist attacks.