The mission of the Keesler Air Force Base Honor Guard is to represent the Air Force by providing Military Funeral Honors at the request of the families for our fallen comrades. Our Honor Guard provides Honors for an area that covers over 51,000 square miles, roughly 68 counties, over the southern half of both Mississippi and Louisiana.
Please see below for covered counties in MS and LA.
Keesler Honor Guard Area of Responsibility
The Keesler Air Force Base Honor Guard is trained to provide Military Honors with precision, professionalism and pride, striving to exceed even our own rigorous Air Force Standards, while demonstrating the highest level of commitment to represent the United States Air Force and Keesler Air Force Base.
We provide Honors for other ceremonies attended by the general public such as Change of Commands, retirements, flag folding ceremonies, Posting of the Colors and parades.
Requesting the Keesler Honor Guard for off-base events:
For all public events, send an official request by e-mail and attach the Colors Request form to the Keesler Public Affairs Office at 81trw.pamain@us.af.mil. Public affairs will respond for more information, if needed.
If approved, Public Affairs will direct you to coordinate directly with the Keesler Honor Guard.
- Colors Request Form off-base
Guidelines:
1. Provide at most 30 days’ and at least 2 weeks’ notice.
2. Send to the Keesler Public Affairs Office at 81trw.pamain@us.af.mil
3. Please remember that the honor guard's primary function is to support funerals. Your request could be cancelled due to a sudden change in mission requirements.
4. Requests are balanced against several factors - does it support the Air Force, does it project the proper image, is it open to the public, how many people will attend.
5. In the case that Keesler’s Honor Guard will not be able to assist with the colors request, try reaching out to your local JROTC, ROTC or Civil Air Patrol unit to see if they can present at your event.
Requesting the Keesler Honor Guard for Funerals:
For all Military Funeral Honors, the team will perform FIRST as to be able to have time to travel to other funerals. They will arrive no later than 1 hour prior to scheduled performance time and will remain in place waiting no more than 1 hour after the scheduled time. If your local VFW is going to perform the 21-gun salute for Retiree Funerals, please annotate that in the email or on the request form.
- Military Funeral Honors Request Form
FAXES ARE NOT ACCEPTED
Guidelines:
1. Please provide at least 2 days’ notice prior to the service.
2. Contact the funeral home you are working with and inform them you want Honor Guard at the Funeral.
3. Email a request form and a copy of the members most current DD214 to the Keesler Honor Guard at keesler.honorguard@us.af.mil.
4. Keesler Honor Guard will contact the requester to verify the information and schedule coverage for the funeral.
Requesting the Keesler Honor Guard for on-base events (Promotion Ceremonies, Retirements, etc)
For all on-base requests, they can be cancelled last minute to support the primary mission of Military Funerals.
Guidelines:
1. Please provide at least 7 days notice.
2. Send request form to keesler.honorguard@us.af.mil
3. Keesler Honor Guard will send confirmation once scheduling has been finalized
- On-base Colors Request Form