AMC names Honor Guard Member of the Year Published April 8, 2015 By Senior Airman Jake Eckhardt 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Tech. Sgt. Thomas Diehl, Scott Air Force Base Honor Guard NCOIC, was selected as the 2014 Air Mobility Command Honor Guard Member of the Year. During his time leading the largest honor guard in AMC, he and his team provided honors for 2,311 fallen veterans, three of whom were active duty, in a six-state area spanning 110,000 miles. "I am incredibly humbled and proud at the same time," Diehl said. "Our Scott Honor Guard team has many exceptional ceremonial guardsmen who serve proudly and exceptionally every day, and to have the opportunity to lead and mentor them, as well as travel and perform military honors alongside them, is a rare occurrence for most people." The Chillicothe, Ohio, native also directed $307,000 of funds within the program, trained and tracked daily operations of four flights making up 273 members, and saved the Air Force $272,000 through a budget audit. He believes that becoming a great ceremonial guardsman boils down to three qualities: patience, respect, and perfectionism. Patience is needed for the 12-plus hour long days, often back-to-back; for standing in freezing temperatures while a funeral procession proceeds to the cemetery; for the long drives; and for the limited foresight available when it comes to a veteran passing away but still being able to schedule and coordinate and perform all honors regardless of what comes up. Respect is needed to put everything else aside for those few hours you're with a family; to make their burden your only focus; and to respect, serve, and honor with no concern for anything but that fallen veteran. Perfectionism is needed to perform each ceremony to the standards that is expected of each Honor Guard member, to admit when one has made a mistake, and to do what it takes to correct those mistakes. It was these traits that made him stand out. Master Sgt. Andrenov Dunklin, Scott AFB Honor Guard Superintendent, said, "Tech. Sgt. Diehl is one of the sharpest NCOs at Scott. His dedication to our Airmen, fallen heroes, and families is above reproach. His recognition reflects the caliber of amazing Airmen across the Air Force's total force spectrum." Diehl believes that his success is a direct result from how dedicated the Honor Guard team here has been. "It has been a privilege and an honor to lead and hit the road with our sharp team," Diehl said. "That is a feeling I will never forget, and it is what drives us all to do what we do."