ROME, N.Y. - New York Air National Guard Master Sgt. Jeffrey Lamarche of the Eastern Air Defense Sector has been named Honor Guard Program Manager of the Year by the Air National Guard Readiness Center at Andrews Air Force Base, Md.
Lamarche competed against Honor Guard managers from nearly 670 Air National Guard flying and mission support units located across the country. He will now go on to compete against the Air Force and Air Force Reserve winners for the overall Air Force honor guard management title.
The EADS honor guard supports numerous high-profile events, including Syracuse University basketball games and the NASCAR Nationwide race at Watkins Glen. The honor guard's primary task, however, is providing military honors for local veterans' funerals. EADS supported more than 50 funerals in 2011, and Lamarche personally participated in 35 of the funeral details.
"Winning a national award in an organization of 106,000 people is a remarkable accomplishment," said Air Force Col. Dawne Deskins, the EADS commander. "On behalf of everyone at EADS, I want to say congratulations to master sergeant Lamarche and tell him that we're proud of him. He has spent countless hours of personal time performing honor guard duties and this award is recognition of that selfless dedication."
Lamarche joined the New York Air National Guard in 1996 and has managed the EADS honor guard since 2009. In addition to this year's national award, Lamarche has been New York State Honor Guard Program Manager of the Year twice.
The Eastern Air Defense Sector is headquartered at Griffiss Business and Technology Park in Rome. Staffed by active-duty New York Air National Guard members and a Canadian Forces detachment, the unit supports the North American Aerospace Defense Command's integrated warning and attack assessment missions and the U.S. Northern Command's homeland defense mission.
EADS is responsible for air sovereignty and counter-air operations over the eastern United States and directs a variety of assets to defend one million square miles of land and sea.