These buttons for wear on the United States Air Force Honor Guard uniform feature the iconic “Hap Arnold star” (officially referred to as the “wing and star” design) used on buttons worn on the Service Dress and Mess Dress coats, but are manufactured with a chrome finish per section 9.3.1.1 of AFI 36-2903, Dress and Personal Appearance of Air Force Personnel.
The U.S. Air Force Honor Guard was formed in September 1948 as a ceremonial unit of the 1100th Air Police Squadron, with two Officers in charge of 98 enlisted Airmen, but was not considered fully operational as the Air Force Ceremonial Detachment in March 1949. It remained a unit of the Air Police Squadron for over twenty years, receiving designation as a separate and distinct unit on 1 January 1972. Enlisted Airmen selected for service in the Honor Guard perform a two- to three-year tour of duty at Joint Base Anacostia–Bolling in Washington, D.C.