JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - U.S. Air National Guard Senior Master Sgt. Karen Mitchell has stood before grieving families approximately 6,500 times during her 18 years with the Missouri Military Funeral Honors Program, rendering final military funeral honors for veterans and service members on behalf of a grateful nation.
“It is an exceptionally rare accomplishment,” said Timothy Wright, deputy director of the Missouri Military Funeral Honors Program. “I have never seen that volume of honors performed by a single individual. Her dedication and professionalism have had a lasting impact on the program and the families she has served.”
Mitchell began her career in the Missouri Air National Guard’s 571st Air Force Band in 1984. She later transitioned to Joint Force Headquarters as a human resources and administration specialist.
In 2008, Mitchell decided to pursue a change of pace. She sold her business and joined the Missouri Military Funeral Honors Program full-time.
“When I started with funeral honors, I had no idea the impact it would have on me,” she said. “It’s not just fulfilling a final promise to our veterans but also working with and learning to appreciate all branches of the military and the sacrifices they have made.”
With a small number of personnel across the Missouri Army and Air National Guard, the Missouri Military Funeral Honors Program supports all 115 counties, providing dignified and professional honors that reflect the gratitude of a nation and the sacrifice of each service member and their family. The program ensures every eligible veteran in Missouri receives military funeral honors upon request.
“The Military Funeral Honors program is one of the most visible symbols of the National Guard's motto to be ‘Always Ready, Always There,’” said U.S. Air National Guard Col. Jeff Bishop, chief of the joint staff, Missouri National Guard Joint Force Headquarters. “Though not Guard-exclusive, local memorial services are often carried out by the National Guard, offering a poignant reflection of our deep-rooted connection to the communities that these ‘Citizen-Airmen’ and ‘Citizen-Soldiers’ live in and serve.”
For Mitchell, the mission has always been about the families. Every honor must be professional, well-executed and heartfelt, as it may be a family’s last interaction with the military.
Over the years, many of those final honors, both beautiful and heartbreaking, have remained with her.
“There was a service one Christmas Eve for a young mother. Giving the flag to her son, who was about eight years old, really broke my heart,” Mitchell said. “At another service, there were two women who sat side by side and when the wife was presented the flag, she stood and passed the flag to the woman next to her, who was the service member's former wife. She thought the former wife should have the flag because she was married to the man when he served. That was very touching.”
While Mitchell has dedicated much of her career to honoring service members and their families, she has also gained a deep respect for others who support them.
“Our Veteran Service Officers are the real heroes of the program,” she said. “They volunteer to come out, some of them five to six days a week, and stand outside all day in all kinds of weather with no complaints.”
Though she is quick to recognize others, Mitchell’s service extends beyond funeral honors.
In addition to supporting grieving families, she volunteers for color guard events and has participated in multiple gubernatorial inaugurations, representing the Missouri National Guard on a joint Army and Air color guard team.
That same dedication is evident to those who serve beside her.
“Senior Master Sgt. Mitchell always shows up, no matter what is going on,” said U.S. Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Nathan Roberts, a C team member with the Missouri Military Funeral Honors Program. “She sets the standard by being the standard. She feels it is her calling to do this for the families and to pass down the role to Airmen coming in after her.”
Mitchell has served her entire 42-year career with the Missouri Air National Guard and plans to retire April 26.
“I’ve been lucky to have a long, happy career in the Missouri Air National Guard,” Mitchell said. “But, as I retire, I will remember this chapter as the greatest part of my career.”
Over her career, Mitchell exemplified the Air Force core values of integrity first, service before self and excellence in all we do, through her service in the Missouri National Guard and her commitment to honoring those who served.
“As she departs our formation for new opportunities, Karen should feel immense pride in her years of dedicated service to our team and to our nation,” Bishop said. “She will be missed for many reasons: for her generosity in sharing her deep expertise, for her commitment to always being present and ready to assist and for her infectious smile and the amazing attitude behind it.”