Little Rock NCO, a man of honor Published Aug. 2, 2011 By Airman 1st Class Regina Agoha 19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. -- An honor guardsman approaches a waiting family, sharp as a saber. With his face solid and stern, he utters words that's been said many times before. Though nervous and anxious to be perfect, he doesn't let it show, knowing this may be his only chance of a lasting impression of the United States Air Force. With shaking hands, a loved one receives a crisp, folded American flag in honor of their fallen service member. No matter the situation, weather or circumstance, the base's honor guard team is trained to remain proficient at all times. This type of discipline and skill reflects strong leadership - leadership that earned the base's honor guard superintendent the Air Force Base Honor Guard Manager of the Year award. Master Sgt. Branden Issitt, 19th Force Support Squadron, volunteered for honor guard in November 2007. He picked up his award July 27, 2011 at a ceremony in San Antonio. He said he will be rotating out this winter, but feels that he will leave his imprints there with the group. "I spent four years at Lackland AFB as a basic training instructor, so training is in my blood," he said. "I took what I learned at Lackland and applied that level of professionalism and intensity here to the honor guard." Airman 1st Class Stephanie Meyer, ceremonial guardsman, has been trained by Issitt for the past six weeks and said his high standards and "T.I." mode is necessary. "We need to be in a military sense of mind when we are at a funeral standing before people that have passed away. If we mess up, it comes down on him. He doesn't ask us to do something that he can't do. His standards are high, but they should be," she said. The honor guard performs approximately eight funerals a day and about 50 to 55 events per month. Other events include saber arts, color guard and educating Reserve Officer Training Corps students. Issitt takes his position as superintendent serious. "I don't play around. There's a time to play and a time to work, and I try not to mix the two. This isn't the type of job where you can go to a funeral or out on a cemetery and play around. You have to have your game face on before you even step out of the vehicle," he said. Shocked was the emotion Issitt said he felt when he heard he received the award. He said this award was a way the Air Force reciprocated the efforts that he has put into this program. The ceremony in San Antonio Issitt said, was very interesting. He said he was pleasantly surprised and when Col. Mike Minihan, 19th Airlift Wing commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Jim Morris, 19th Airlift Wing command chief, were able to be there and show their support. The purpose of the award is to simply recognize the individual that the Air Force felt contributed most significantly to the performance of military honors in reference to the program managers. Issitt said he has seen a lot of good come from being a part of the honor guard. One of his proudest moments while being in honor guard, he said, was witnessing an airman first class who had a bad reputation do a 180-degree transformation to becoming one of the honor guard instructors. Issitt oversees about 115 students throughout the year, with about 13 students in each training class. The one thing Issitt said he would want to leave with the honor guard when he leaves would be a phrase his uncle told him before he left for basic training in 1998. "I think if I could leave anything with the team in hopes that they will retain it, it would have to be this phrase, 'Always be sharp, always be professional.' I feel that if you do that and keep it in the back of your mind, then you can't go wrong."