NY Air Guard Master Sgt. Terra Martin, a Clifton Park resident, named Air National Guard Honor Guard Manager of the Year for 2021
Stratton Air National Guard Base, Scotia, New York (08/08/2022) — New York Air National Guard Master Sgt. Terra Martin, a Clifton Park resident, and a member of the 109th Airlift Wing, has been named Air National Guard Honor Guard Manager of the Year for 2021.
The honor guard provides military funerals for veterans and during 2021, Martin coordinated 120 military funerals in 22 counties and three states for the wing's honor guard, which is located at Stratton Air National Guard Base in Scotia,
She also arranged four military flyovers for former service members, including a Vietnam prisoner of war.
Martin has been a member of the 109th Airlift Wing at Stratton Air National Guard Base in Schenectady, New York for 22 years.
She has served in multiple supervisory positions in the unit's mission support group, as well as a military training instructor at Joint-Base San Antonio, Texas.
As head of the Honor Guard, Martin recruited two more members to bring the honor guard to 8 Airmen, and saved $2,000 by tailoring and altering eight ceremonial uniforms in-house.
Throughout her time in the honor guard, Master Sgt. Martin has completed over 900 military funerals.
"It still hasn't hit me that I was selected for this award. I'm grateful for the recognition, but also for having a job that I love and take so much pride in," Martin said.
Master Sgt. Matthew King, another member of the 109th Honor Guard, was recognized as the Air National Guard Honor Guard Member of the Year for 2021.
"I am incredibly proud of Master Sgt. Terra Martin and Matthew King as they are recognized as the finest Honor Guard Airmen in the Air National Guard. These dedicated, young Airmen are exceptional performers and serve our military, family and community with pronounced professionalism each and every day," said Col. Christian Sander, commander of the 109th Airlift Wing.
Along with the constant business of the full-time job, Martin and King frequently sacrificed their weekends in order to attend military funerals.
"The hours spent coordinating, rehearsing and traveling for all of these ceremonies shows how dedicated and passionate these Airmen are for their job. I'm so proud of the whole team for what they'll continue to do," said Chief Master Sgt. Jeff Trottier, command chief of the 109th Airlift Wing.
The two Airmen will now compete against their peers from the active-duty sector to determine the top honor guard members of the entire Air Force branch.
Martin's awards include the Air Force Achievement Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal and the Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal.
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New York Air National Guard Master Sgt. Terra Martin
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