Recent Rose Hill graduate J.J. Carney, who is in the Navy Ceremonial Guard participated as a pallbearer in former President George H.W. Bush’s funeral.  

The Navy Ceremonial guard is located at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington D.C. the Ceremonial Guard’s primary mission is to represent the service in Presidential, Joint Armed Forces, Navy, and Public Ceremonies in and around the Nation’s capital.

Carney, who is ranked E-3 out of E-12, joined the Navy after high school and did not plan on joining the ceremonial guard until basic training. Carney moved up the ranks at basic training in Great Lakes Illinois and during Ceremonial Guard training in the District of Columbia.

“I played a big roll in my division because I lead the division in our physical fitness test,” Carney said. “I basically told them what exercises to do and how many to do of that certain exercise and still had to do the exercises with them.”

“I didn’t want to be in the guard my RDC’s told me to go to their interview for the guard so I went and they picked me to be in the guard.”

The Guard is picky in its selection process. In order to join you need white straight teeth, no acne, no scars on your face and no tattoos on the neck or hands

“They are looking for perfect sailors and believe it or not there has been people that been told they can’t be in the guard because they look ugly and are not good looking enough,” said Carney.

The training Carney had to go through was similar to basic training.

The days consist of the same thing: in the morning they stand outside in ranks and march to the mess hall for breakfast. They then march to moss hall to train.

During training Carney had to pass eight uniform inspections ,where all day he would stand straight and he could not move his eyes, cough or sneeze, because that is breaking tightness.

“It was like being a statue,” Carney said.

After Carney completed Ceremonial Guard training he was promoted to E-3. Carney is one of the six people from Kansas in the ceremonial guard the others are from the towns of Winfield, Haysville, Manhattan, Kansas City, and Coffeyville.

“Our job is essentially to do funerals and ceremonies everyday,” Carney said.

Carney performs on average four to five funerals a day and performs the same task on each of them.

Five months after Carney joined, former President George H.W. Bush passed away and Carney had a part in his funeral.

“Everyone in the guard played a role in President George H.W. Bush’s funeral,” Carney said.  “I wasn’t picked specifically to do it; everyone participated in his funeral.”

Carney was part of the marching platoon that marched in front of The Capital. The platoon saluted with their rifles and went to present arms while the casket bears carried Bush up the stairs then they marched on.

“Serving at his funeral was pretty amazing,” Carney said. :It was a once in a lifetime experience.”