After years of planning, Hays Police Department Honor Guard makes debut during FHSU Homecoming

By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

A longtime goal of Hays Police Department Chief Don Scheibler came to fruition last weekend with the debut of the HPD Honor Guard during Fort Hays State University’s Homecoming festivities.

“One of my goals early on was to set up an honor guard,” Scheibler said, who took over the department in 2011.

After years of planning, funding was budgeted in 2018 by the City of Hays.

“When we decided to do this, we needed it funded properly,” Scheibler said. “Both the city manager and the city commission have been very supportive.”

Once funding was secured, Scheibler looked to honor guards across the state that could help train the HPD members and found the Topeka Police Department had exactly what he was looking for.

Members of the Topeka honor guard then came to Hays to work with the Hays members to train them for their duties.

“It prepared them – whether it be a funeral, folding a flag, posting the colors at a banquet, or marching in a parade, whatever it may be,” Scheibler said.

But training will be ongoing.

“A lot of people don’t realize unless they have been in the military or such, the number of hours and investment it takes. It looks simple, it looks sharp, but everything from the timing to the physical toll, these guys have put forth the effort,” said HPD Lt. Tim Greenwood, who oversees the guard.

During continued training, teamwork becomes even more important.

“There is a lot of critiques,” Greenwood said. “The instructor will show you how to do it and then you emulate what the instructor is doing and then you also accept criticism and critique. They help each other, they critique each other, that’s where the teamwork comes in.”

The training includes everything from movement speed to attention to detail, he said and makes the duties look seamless.

“All of those little details that nobody ever notices from the stands or the seats they work on to make sure that you don’t notice it,” Greenwood said. “When it is done right, it looks good and dignified.”

Weekly training will be directed by the honor guard coordinator Officer Mackenzie Smith.

“He’s taken that leadership role to heart and is doing a great job with it,” Scheibler said. “They have been working hard, training hard and now is their opportunity for them to start putting themselves on show.”

While leading parades and posting colors will highlight the department, a significant and important part of the honor guard is much more solemn.

“It runs the full gamut from what you will see this weekend, leading parades and posting the colors at games to awards banquets, posting the colors, and also the solemn duties of laying to rest – whether it be officers in the line of duty or retirees — they have a tremendous sense of honor and dignity, attention to detail and it’s sort of a unique role or being that person that everyone is watching, but representing something bigger than themselves,” Greenwood said before the debut.

“We’re talking about professions where men and women have raised their hand and taken an oath to stand on the wall and protect their country or their community, and they recognize the importance of paying respects to those who have agreed to do that,” Scheibler said.

The guard is made up of volunteers from the department and is another way the department can show its professionalism in a positive way, Schiebler said, but the importance of the honor guard really hit the members as they put their training into practice and put on the uniform.

“In law enforcement, in general, you have to behave and conduct yourselves in a professional manner, and in an ethical manner, and with integrity at all times,” Scheibler said. “But you put that honor guard uniform on, you step up your game.”

“I think it’s a huge showing of respect, and there is a huge sense of service before self in law enforcement,” Greenwood said. “This is just one aspect in which we show respect for those that came before us and those that are yet to come and doing it dignified and professional and courteous manner.”