Patriot Detail

October 18, 2006 12:21 PM

Farewell on a Dark Tarmac When American service members are killed in Afghanistan or Iraq, people from their base form a Patriot Detail, an ad hoc honor guard that escorts the flag-draped coffin to the airplane that will carry their body home. A reporter recently observed one of the ceremonies; some earlier descriptions.
posted by kirkaracha (6 comments total)

A heart-rending article, reminiscent of Ernie Pyle at his best. That the deceased was an airman on ground combat duty slams home how Operation Iraqi Fuq'P has drained the manpower of the Army and Marines.
posted by rdone at 1:01 PM on October 18, 2006

Not really. The 824th Security Forces Squadron is referred to as Air Force Light Infantry. Their main job is to protect airbases and in Vietnam their tactics included daylight recon patrols, forward observation posts during the day and listening posts at night, operation of tactical motor patrols with gun jeeps, sweep and clear operations, relocation of areas of population, and the use of the primary tactic in active defense operations: The ambush patrol.

The Myspace page for one of the Airmen I ran across looking that up already has "Doin it for Chavis" as it's headline.
posted by Cyrano at 1:30 PM on October 18, 2006

Very sad.
posted by bardic at 2:06 PM on October 18, 2006

Nice piece, thanks.
posted by languagehat at 2:17 PM on October 18, 2006

.
posted by taosbat at 2:39 PM on October 18, 2006

posted by cenoxo at 10:18 PM on October 18, 2006