#146 Honor Guard in the Fire Service: Professionalism, Tradition, and Doing It Right cover art

#146 Honor Guard in the Fire Service: Professionalism, Tradition, and Doing It Right

#146 Honor Guard in the Fire Service: Professionalism, Tradition, and Doing It Right

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 The crew kicks things off in classic “kitchen table” fashion (yes… with an unfortunate shart confession) before shifting into a respectful, meaningful conversation about Honor Guard in the fire service—why it matters, what professionalism looks like, and how departments can build/strengthen their own teams. Along the way: sponsor shoutouts, a moment of silence for two fallen firefighters, and a trick-question flag trivia that gets Matt good.In This EpisodeCold Open: The “Literal Sh*t ShowUnkie admits to a wet fart situation (aka: shart), sparking a round of “we’ve all been there” stories.Brian loses his appetite mid-conversation.Doug officially welcomes everyone to the literal “shit show” that is the podcast.”Housekeeping & UpdatesPatreon ShoutoutsNew Patreon members welcomed:Ricky BirdBig Bob Penrod (Doug’s new nickname for him)B. Stapleton (the crew debates what the “B” stands for—Brandon? Bradley? Bryce? Broseph? Bart?)Merch UpdateMerch is moving: shirts, hoodies, hats, and now embroidered hats are rolling out.Big thanks to everyone who’s ordered.Sponsor ShoutoutsUnkie’s SeasoningsUnkie will be at Virginia Fire & Expo in Virginia Beach (Feb 19–21)Hanging around heavy hitters like Taylor’s Tins, National Fire Radio, and more.Burn BoxThe crew highlights recent box items (hoodie, stickers, mask bag).“If you’re on the fence, jump off and get one.”Potential New Sponsor IdeaThe crew makes a strong case for Dude Wipes becoming a sponsor… for obvious reasons.Moment of SilenceThe team honors two recent losses in the fire service:Firefighter Michael Mejia (National City FD) — passed from complications of a severe illness.Firefighter Howard Bennett (60) — fell into the icy Delaware River while inspecting a fireboat at Wiggins Park Marina.Main Topic: Honor Guard in the Fire ServiceThe crew emphasizes Honor Guard as a prestigious, humbling, high-respect role.Doug shares that Honor Guard may be the most important work he does in his career.Doug lays down a core philosophy:Honor Guard should be professional, tactful, and executed quietly.Cadence screaming or making it “about you” defeats the point.Unkie shares frustration with “Marine Corps cadence” style pageantry in civilian settings.Doug’s pet peeve: ascots (“Victorian era nonsense” 😂)Matt shares a probationary-day moment:At a Memorial Day ceremony, he placed a wreath… and saluted his Captain instead of the flag.Crew compares Matt to “Officer Doofy.”Unkie hits the crew with trivia:Trick question: What degree does the American flag angle during Present Arms?Answer: It doesn’t. The U.S. flag does not bow—only other flags do.Brian nails it. Matt gets smoked.Bonus trivia:Texas is the only state flag that can be displayed at the same height as the U.S. flag (as explained in the episode).Ricky Bird praises the importance of recent mental health episodes.Kenny Mitchell encourages using the episode for roundtable training and discussion.Doug shouts out Chelsea from “Hold the Line at Home” for sharing mental health content.A listener shares they were admitted to a psych facility after letting things build up—crew praises the honesty and reinforces:“It’s okay to not be okay. It’s not okay to stay not okay.”“Welcome to the literal shit show…” — Doug“You shouldn’t be heard.” — Doug on Honor Guard professionalism“Ditch your bricks.” — Doug (throwback phrase that may become merch)How does YOUR department run Honor Guard?Drop it in the comments—structure, training, uniforms, pay/OT, recruiting, etc.What’s the worst (or weirdest) Honor Guard/Class A uniform detail you’ve seen?Keep it respectful… but let’s hear it.
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