Within 3 days, this Nation lost two active-duty correctional staff members in different parts of the country. Community Parole Officer Christine Guerin-Sandoval in Colorado and Officer Robert Clark of Georgia. They were seperated by 1,631 miles.
As people, our first instinct when talking to a family going through the heartbreak of such a malicious loss is to ask “what can do we? How can we help?”
CPOF, our National Honor Guard Team and Honor Guard teams across the nation do not wait for a reply before stepping into action. We know that the family may not know what they need. They are often in shock, experiencing a heartbreak they never expected and just doing their best to breath and get through the long days and longer nights.
Honor Guard Commanders all over the country and our very own Commander Ray Gonsalves start with immediate phone calls to their team. They put them on stand-by that there is a call to action they need to be ready for. As soon as they know the details, the calls are made again to ensure that a team can be put together to show the respect and dignity that staff member deserves. Transportation is coordinated, often times with little to no notice, arrangements are made and they get where they need to be to support both the home family of that staff member, but also the department family.
No matter how strong an honor guard team is, regardless of how much training you’ve done, irrelevant of how many services you’ve attended, it hits different when its one of your own from your department.
CPOF’s National Honor Guard Team attends the services of fallen staff in lieu of and in coordination with other departments. They are there to fill in any gaps, offer any support and provide a service that few do better.
The loss of these two exceptional people so close together in dates, yet so far in distance created unique challenges, and everyone made sacrifices to ensure that their deaths, their families and their departments were put first, before all else.
On Friday, October 6, 2023 Correctional Officer Robert Clark was laid to rest in Hinesville, Georgia. On Monday, October 9, 2023 Community Parole Officer Christine Guerin-Sandoval was laid to rest in Pueblo, Colorado. The outpouring of support from across the nation was inspiring and spoke to what it means to be a part of a family.
Many teams left straight from Georgia to arrive to Colorado in time. By observing them, you’d have no idea that they were physically or emotionally exhausted when they arrived in Colorado. They showed immense pride and dedication to serving their correctional family.
CPOF would like to show their utmost respect and gratitude to the Honor Guard representing the Georgia Department of Corrections. Immediately following laying their own officer to rest, without allowing time for their own grief or their own reflections of his loss of life, they made the emotional trip to be there for the correctional and home family of Community Parole Officer Sandoval. Their dedication was inspiring.
CPOF would like to give both Georgia Department of Corrections Honor Guard and Colorado Department of Corrections Honor Guard our deepest appreciation for the hospitality and respect shown to all that were available to attend and perform ceremonial duties at the services for their fallen officers. As you grieve together, we wish you the peace in the days to come. And always know, you’re correctional family is here for you.