Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 77th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, carry the U.S. flag during a funeral ceremony April 7 at Fort Bliss National Cemetery. The Soldiers are the only eight-man team to cover funeral details with military honors in the El Paso area. Photo by Spc. Bradley J. Clark.
Soldiers tasked with providing final honor for servicemembers
Spc. Bradley J. Clark, 4th BCT, 1st Armored Div. Public Affairs
Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 77th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, said they are honored with being tasked as the funeral detail for all military funerals in El Paso.
The troops involved in the detail have practiced long hours to provide proper services to the men and woman who served their country.
“Being a part of this detail is a huge honor,” said Staff Sgt. Eric Gregory, a squad leader with A Company and the noncommissioned officer in charge of the eight-man funeral team. “To have a military funeral is every servicemember’s last right.”
The troops selected for the detail were hand-chosen by their company commander and first sergeant and had to begin practicing immediately.
“We were given a week-and-a-half notice before we had to be certified,” said Gregory. “I thought the whole thing was going to be really difficult, but it was surprisingly easy, which is because of the great Soldiers who were chosen for this detail. They worked hard at making this go smoothly.”
Gregory said he and his Soldiers fought through, in his opinion, the hardest part of the certification to make it where they are now.
“I would say the time constraints were the most challenging thing to deal with,” said Gregory. “We weren’t given that much notice. We still have Soldiers who need to go to range, and we had to make sure our Class A uniforms were in perfect condition. Time management is huge when you are doing something like this.”
Spc. Leopoldo Pacheco, a pallbearer and member of the firing squad for the funeral detail, said the hardest part about the detail is when he and four other Soldiers have to fire the volleys, because of the precision needed to make it sound as if it were a single shot.
Even with the stress of having to be perfect, there are still things that make the detail worthwhile for the troops involved.
“I am glad I got chosen for this,” said Pacheco. “It makes me feel good that I have been given this privilege. When we salute as the hearse passes by or when we fold the flag to give to the next of kin, that’s when it really hits home. It’s hard to find a word that would tell you how I feel about being able to honor the Soldiers who have served their country.”
Gregory and Pacheco’s team worked their first funeral April 7 at the Fort Bliss National Cemetery for the former Mayor of El Paso, Carlos Ramirez, and they will continue to be on hand for any funerals with military honors in the El Paso area throughout the month.