Military Funeral Honor Guard Program

Date: March 5, 2008

To: ShareRiff

From: Dennis Harris

Subject: Funeral Honor Guard Progress Report

The funeral honor guard procedure manual is progressing smoothly. Originally, I had the procedure manual listed as unit 2, but it will be changed to unit 4 because unfortunately life got in the way; I was stuck on form and idiom. I am currently working on idiom and looking into structure. The six steps in McCloud’s book, Understanding Comics are very helpful.

Here are the six steps:

Idea/Purpose Provide Bushnell honor guards with knowledge of the standard operations procedure

Form An easy to read procedure manual

Idiom Easy for all funeral honor guards

Structure N/A

Craft N/A

Surface N/A

Idea

The idea to write a procedure manual was initiated by the lack of interest of honor guards to read the current SOP (Standard Operating Procedures). Even as the team leader of the honor guards at Bushnell, I found the SOP to be boring and hard to read. I also wanted a procedure manual specifically for Bushnell because circumstances rarely change in Bushnell, compared to a burial site at a civilian cemetery. The purpose is to provide Bushnell honor guards with understandable knowledge of the SOP.

Form

The form I chose to use was a procedure manual rather than the current SOP. I wanted the readers to enjoy reading the manual without being bored with confusing terminologies and out of date information found in the SOP. I field tested Kellee’s version of one part of my procedure manual and the honor guards enjoyed reading it. I am currently fine tuning her version with my expertise and knowledge of the procedures required by the U.S. Army.

Idiom

I’m currently working on the idiom. I ran into a mental road block that slowed me down. The six steps found in chapter seven of McCloud’s book, Understanding Comics helped me understand the necessary steps an artist will use to reach their goal.

Structure/Craft/Surface

I am looking into the structure of the procedure. I will continue to field test the updated procedure manual with the experienced, as well as the inexperience, honor guards. I am sure the honor guards will help me craft my procedure manual to the shining surface.

Conclusion

I have written reports and proposals in the past with little interference and with very few mental road blocks. This procedure manual is currently a challenge that I look forward to accomplishing. The six steps will help steer me in the right direction to a well polished procedure manual that others will love to experience. I will be ready to explain my manual on the ninth of April.