Minnesota Department of Corrections
Division Directive: 103.2217 Title:
Honor/Color Guard and Memory Guard
Issue Date: 2/5/13
Effective Date: 2/19/13
AUTHORITY: Minn. Stat. §241.01, subd. 3a (h)
PURPOSE: To establish procedures and consistent standards for Minnesota
correctional facilities (MCF) to have an honor/color guard or memory guard.
APPLICABILITY: Minnesota Department of Correction (DOC); all facilities
DIRECTIVE: Each
MCF may establish a uniformed honor/color guard or utilize memory guard
participants to represent the department at authorized functions. In the event of the death of a current or
retired DOC employee, the deceased person's family may request a uniformed
honor/color guard or memory guard at the wake, funeral, or memorial service.
DEFINITIONS:
Honor/color
guard - a team of corrections officers performing ceremonial duties at a
wake, funeral, memorial services, serving as pallbearers, folding the flag at
gravesites, ground breaking, academy graduations, dedications, retirements,
parades, and other DOC or community functions as requested. The team of officers are selected and trained
as honor/color guard unit and are proficient in procedures and the protocol of
the honor/color guard. As determined by
the warden/designee, this detail may be considered work time and employees may
be compensated for hours worked/expenses incurred pursuant to labor agreements.
Honor/color
guard coordinator - a member of the team (supervisory and above) selected
by the warden/designee to oversee all administrative duties, selection of team
members, training, maintaining equipment, and coordinate all team activations,
etc.
Memory
guard - one or more corrections officers who are selected by the
warden/designee to participate in posting at the funeral home, memorial
services, or serving as pallbearer(s).
These volunteers are not required to be members of the honor/color
guard. No specific training is required
to participate in this detail. This
detail is on a volunteer basis only and the participants are not compensated
for hours worked/expenses incurred.
PROCEDURES:
A. Command structure:
1. Honor/color
guard:
a) The
honor/color guard team consists of a minimum of six members, including five
team members and the coordinator.
b) The
honor/color guard coordinator oversees the honor/color guard team members. Request for services must be directed to the
coordinator and he/she coordinates instructions to the team regarding time and
location of detail, and activities to be performed. The warden/designee must give final approval
for any honor/color guard detail.
c) The
honor/color guard does not discharge any firearm, for example salutes.
2. Memory
guard:
a) The
family of a deceased DOC active/retired staff may request certain officers who
were friends of the deceased to participate in the memory guard.
b) There
is no command structure for the memory guard, other than these individuals
volunteer to participate upon approval by the warden/designee.
B. Selection criteria:
1. Honor/color
guard:
a) Must
be a non-probationary uniformed staff who has completed one year of service
with the DOC.
b) Must
have no discipline in the employee’s personnel file.
c) Must
fully meet or exceed standards on performance reviews.
d) Must
be willing to commit to the team for at least three years.
e) Must
be available on short notice to perform in honor/color guard activities.
f) Must
maintain physical appearance and decorum projecting a professional image.
g) Must
be able to march and stand for extended periods.
h) Members
must possess teamwork skills and strive towards uniformity.
2. Memory
guard:
a) The
participants must volunteer and be approved by the warden/designee.
b) This
detail is on a volunteer basis only and the participants are not compensated
for hours worked/expenses incurred.
C. Uniforms:
1. Honor/color
guard:
a) Honor/color
guard teams wear a long-sleeve corrections officer uniform. Team members are responsible to maintain
uniforms in clean, pressed, and presentable condition at all times.
b) Additional
honor/color guard uniform items:
(1) White
gloves;
(2) Blue
uniform tie or gold ascot (all team members wear the same item); and
(3) Gold/blue
shoulder tassel/cord.
c) Honor/color
guard team equipment:
(1) Two
flag holder belts (white);
(2) Two
mock rifles;
(3) One
U.S. flag on carrying pole;
(4) One
Minnesota state flag on carrying pole; and
(5) Two
flag mounts.
2. Memory
guard uniform: memory guard teams wear the standard DOC corrections officer
long-sleeve uniform, including blue DOC tie.
The memory guard participants are responsible to wear a uniform that is
clean, pressed, and presentable.
D. Retention/termination
and completion of service for honor/color guard:
1. The
facility honor/color guard coordinator must annually review each member of the
honor/color guard and recommend whether to continue the member on the team for
another year.
2. Members
may be removed from service for failure to maintain compliance with any of the
criteria listed in this policy. Members
may reapply once the appropriate criteria are met.
3. Members
receive a certificate of service and a copy of the certificate is placed in the
employee's supervisory file.
4. At
the completion of a member's tour of service with the honor/color guard, the
member is required to turn in all equipment and additional uniform items listed
in Procedure C.
E. Training:
all honor/color guard members train as needed.
INTERNAL
CONTROLS:
A. If a request is made for a memory guard
or honor/color guard services, a confidential incident report is written and
the request is discussed with the warden/designee to determine if services can
be provided.
B. If services are approved, a confidential
incident report must be written to include all the specific information on the event
and services rendered. If services are
not approved, this is documented on the incident report, with the reasons for
the denial.
C. Only mock rifles are used for the event
and no firearms are discharged by the members of the honor/color guard.
REVIEW: Annually
REFERENCES: Policy
103.221, "Uniforms, Attire, and Personal Hygiene"
Policy
103.2215, "Uniforms and Attire - Facilities"
Division
Directive 103.2216, "Corrections Officer Standardized Equipment"
SUPERSESSION: Division Directive 103.2217, “Honor/Color
Guard and Memory Guard,” 1/3/12.
All facility policies, memos, or other communications
whether verbal, written, or transmitted by electronic means, regarding this
topic.
ATTACHMENTS: None
/s/
Assistant
Deputy Commissioner, Facility Services
Instruction