The Ceremonial Cap worn by General Officers in the Air Force Honor Guard features three “cloud and darts” emblems embroidered in brilliant silver bullion on both sides of the high-gloss visor. Besides serving to indicate the wearer’s status as a General Officer (O-7 to O-10), the emblems also complement the visor’s unique silver trim. The cap also employs a dual-chinstrap design, with the ornamental front chinstrap made of silver braid and a rear, functional chinstrap secured by two chrome buttons emblazoned with the “Hap Arnold Star.” Note that the functional chinstrap is worn in the down position only when necessary to ensure the Ceremonial Cap remains on the wearer’s head, such as during windy weather or when the wearer’s duties could cause the cover to become misplaced (during drill-team movements, for example).
For nearly a quarter of a century, the United States Air Force Honor Guard consisted only of an elite ceremonial unit within the 1100th Air Police Squadron stationed at Bolling Air Force Base (now Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling) in Washington, D.C. Activated in 1948, it was tasked with representing the Air Force at ceremonies within the National Capital Region, and it wasn’t until 1972 that it became a separate squadron.
The organizational linchpin of today’s Air Force Honor Guard is the Ceremonial Flight; each of the Guard’s three flights has teams fully qualified in specific functions including Colors (displaying flags and battle streamers), Bearers (handling of caskets and remains at funerals for military and state officials), and Firing Party (seven-member rifle teams that fire a trio of volleys during funeral services). Another component of the Honor Guard is the Drill Team, which dazzles crowds with around the country and across the globe with its incredibly precise military formations and weapons-handling routines.