Despite only being six Soldiers strong, its members form easily the most visible group in a parade or ceremony.

For the I Corps Command Honor Guard, there is no room for error. From the perfectly aligned flags they carry to their precise cadence, Soldiers work diligently to ensure everything about the I Corps Command Honor Guard is flawless.

"Our job is to be the ambassadors for I Corps to the community, and we must conduct ourselves that way," said Sgt. 1st Class Devon Grier, I Corps Command Honor Guard NCOIC.

Thirteen Soldiers serve in the unit. Twelve of them stay with the honor guard for one year before returning to their units, while the NCOIC remains two years.

They are hand selected by their command sergeants major and considered "borrowed military manpower" from units across the installation, keeping with the intent to represent all of I Corps and its units.

To be eligible for the I Corps Command Honor Guard, Soldiers must have zero military or civilian adverse actions against them, be able to pass their physical fitness test and meet a height requirement of between 5 feet 10 inches and 6 feet 2 inches. After Soldiers are recommended by their command sergeants major, they are sent to Grier and his battalion command sergeant major for interviews and a final decision.

The next and final step is weeklong drilling of military related knowledge including drill and ceremony, rifles and flags. On the final day of training, Soldiers must pass a written knowledge test and two hour standing test before joining the unit. The first half of the standing test requires Soldiers to stand motionless in uniform and Kevlar - regardless of weather conditions - holding the Army flag and streamers. The second half entails conducting various drill-and-ceremony moves with a rifle.

"We put Soldiers in a worst-case scenario where we'd be on the parade field and they are exposed to whatever the weather conditions are," Grier said. "We have to ... make sure that the Soldier is able to stand that long no matter what is going on around them."

The honor guard receives requests from organizations on the installation and from communities surrounding JBLM as far away as Ocean Shores. The request Grier has seen from the most distant city was from Leavenworth, Wash. The honor guard will partner there next month with the 56th Army Band to represent I Corps in the Autumn Leaf Festival Parade.

Endless hours of practicing weapons handling, marching and standing result in the honor guard's utmost professional appearance - a trait Grier said that is key to representing the military.

"We are all some people know of the military when we're out in the community," Grier said. "Frankly, everything that we do needs to be perfect - or close to perfect I'd say."

Perfect can often equate to redundant, but most of the Soldiers do not mind. They would rather do things right than risk the Army being embarrassed at the expense of their actions.

Both Sgt. Daniel Sims and Sgt. John Cooper joined the I Corps Command Honor Guard less than a month ago and have no regrets. As infantrymen, the two welcomed the change of pace, but agreed the position requires a high level of discipline. In the short time they have been part of the honor guard, both are looking forward to busy schedules packed with parades, ceremonies and anything else thrown their way.

"I'm really glad I got the opportunity to come over here," Sims said.

"My family is ecstatic," Cooper said. "They could not be happier," adding that his Family plans to accompany him to several future events.

The level of discipline required for the position stems from outward appearance as well as being able to do the right thing when nobody is looking. As an infantry team leader, Cooper will have to make up for lost time performing his military occupational specialty while part of the honor guard. In a sense some might see the honor guard as a vacation away from one's specialty, but the reality is Soldiers are expected to be at the same pace or higher than they were when they left the unit despite an absence of mandatory MOS training.

"I'm losing a year of training, basically, to come over here, so I have to stay up on my training," Cooper said. "You can't allow yourself to forget what your job is just because you're over here branching out."

Grier said it's one of many aspects that make the honor guard so demanding. He recognizes the need for individual training and makes it a point to conduct other training when possible. All members of the honor guard are required to conduct physical training, weapons qualification and are encouraged to enroll in military and college courses.

"We are constantly working to keep the Soldiers skills up so that when they go back to their units, they haven't lost any of the knowledge that they left with," Grier said.

In the end, it's ultimately up to the individual Soldier to meet their unit's requirements. Fortunately for members of the I Corps Command Honor Guard, few should have any problems. It's the same high level of discipline that earned them the position in the first place that will ultimately send them back to their units on top of their game.

"As Soldiers, we train a lot on shooting, moving and communicating, and drill and ceremony is kind of a lost form," Cooper said. "It's actually a big discipline builder that gets neglected. Not only am I getting caught up on (drill and ceremony) over here, but I'll be able to take what I've learned here back to my unit and incorporate it more there," Cooper said.