100th LRS Airman guards honor

  • Published
  • By Gina Randall
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  The sun has not yet risen on a cold winter morning as his alarm clock sounds. Bleary eyed, he sits up and rubs his tired face. He looks over to his sleeping wife and takes a minute to come to. Then the realization hits him — ‘Today is the day I do my part to give a fallen wingman a memorial his family will treasure. I will take extra pride in putting on my uniform today, for that is what his family will see as the Stars and Stripes are lowered over their son’s coffin and he is laid to rest.’

While giving everything to the honor guard, he also takes care of the mission.

Tech. Sgt. James Stay, 100th Logistics Readiness Squadron NCO in charge of Mobility Readiness Spares Packages, and NCO in charge of the Honor Guard, takes pride in all he does and exemplifies the 100th Air Refueling Wing’s vision of Ready, Balanced, Better ... Square-D Away. He goes above and beyond to honor others by leading a group dedicated to upholding tradition.

“I’m in charge of the base honor guard, which consists of all the units on base, not just the 100th (ARW),” Stay added. “I’ve been doing it almost my entire career. We are always trying to perfect what we are doing.”

Although it wasn’t his ambition when he joined the military, the honor guard has become a big part of his life, and Stay can’t imagine not being a part of it.

“When I first got to Japan I saw signs for honor guard training,” Stay explained. “I liked how sharp they were with their uniform and ceremonies. It was a new challenge for me and I wanted to be the best Airman I could be.”

Time is important to him as he needs to balance his day and week to accommodate his role in the mission and his honor guard duties. Being a vital part of a ceremony means all eyes are on the team, and they need to make sure they’re perfect.

“Practice is mostly during work hours and I have great leadership who allow me to go,” Stay said. “It’s a big balancing act between the two.”

Stay’s leadership are proud of what their Airman brings each day.

“Sergeant Stay is an outstanding NCO. I don’t know what I’d do without him. Most of the time he has already answered my question before I’ve even finished asking it,” laughed Master Sgt. Janet Dickson, 100th LRS section chief of MRSP. “He’s a true leader. You can also see the pride he takes in his role as the NCO in charge of honor guard. Even when he is not actually participating in the detail, he’s there making sure everything and everyone is Square-D Away.”

While stationed in England, he sees how much the local community values their friends and allies from across the pond.

“We participate in a lot of parades in the local community which are organized by British groups,” Stay said. “One we recently took part in was at a site dedicated to where an American aircraft and crew was lost. It was amazing to see how they keep up that memorial just for us. All the things they do, for a country not even their own, to keep history alive, is very humbling.”

Time honored traditions all over the world in different cultures are never left to one person to continue. Stay values the leadership he received all those years ago, and the leadership of today.

“Mildenhall is very lucky to have Sergeant Stay for both his expertise in the logistics career field, and for his leadership in the Honor Guard program,” said 2nd Lt. Brett Maloney, 100th Force Support Squadron Readiness Chief and Officer In Charge of Honor Guard. “Often times, the Mildenhall Honor Guard Team is the only interaction the community has with the U.S. Air Force. Sergeant Stay takes this responsibility very seriously and has done an excellent job training and leading Airmen on the team, so when we are called upon, the detail is performed with the utmost precision and professionalism.”