On Monday, May 14, 2012, the Marion County Sheriff's Office Honor Guard performed in the 10th Annual Fraternal Order of Police Steve Young National Honor Guard Competition in Washington D.C. MCSO placed first out of 17 teams representing law enforcement agencies throughout the United States and Canada. Each team has eight members.
The three-part competition includes a team inspection (MCSO took 1st), a color guard presentation (MCSO took 1st), and an exhibition/drill (MCSO took 1st). For the first time, MCSO's Honor Guard included in their routine a tribute to Marion County's fallen officers by hanging embroidered black sashes on our county's flag representing each fallen brother. Their routine was eight minutes long and they have been practicing since February 2012.
Prior to the competition, the teams had the opportunity to escort family members of fallen officers from the airport to their hotels to commemorate Fallen Officer Memorial Week. Today, Tuesday, May 15, the top three honor guard teams will line up at the Capitol to meet President Barack Obama.
The Marion County Sheriff's Office is extremely proud of our honor guard team and their accomplishment. We are privileged to have such a dedicated group representing our agency in Washington D.C. this week, as we honor those men and women who have fallen in the line of duty.