Stanwood woman reps for Northwest at Obama’s inauguration
Jan 21, 2013, 10:31 AM | Updated: 2:18 pm
Sgt. 1st Class Meghan Malloy, of Camano Island, stands for a portrait in Washington. Malloy is a member of an elite team from the Department of Defense helping prepare more than 1,500 service members who will salute President Barack Obama on Jan. 21, 2013, along the parade route for his second inaugural. (AP Photo/United States Department of Defense via The Herald)
(AP Photo/United States Department of Defense via The Herald)
A Stanwood woman is representing for the Northwest at President Barack Obama’s inauguration Monday.
Sgt. Meghan Malloy of Stanwood tells 770 KTTH’s David Boze she has been training military members for months to participate in the ceremonies at the 57th Presidential Inauguration in Washington D.C.
“Pretty much full time from September through Monday we have been training,” says Malloy.
Malloy is part of a team of 176 members from the Department of Defense working on coordination of military support in the ceremony.
She has been working with 1,500 service members, working on timing and cues for when they need to come to attention, salute and render honors.
A lot of training in non-movement is also required of the service members participating in the ceremony, Malloy explains.
“It really speaks to the dedication and discipline of troops that they can stand there for so long and not really fidget or have to move around to stay warm.”
Malloy calls the opportunity to participate in the ceremony “unreal,” and says many of her Camano Island friends will be looking out for her.
“The inauguration is something that I’ve watched even when I was small and growing up in Stanwood-Camano Island area,” says Malloy. “I just never imagined that I would get the opportunity to be a part of that.”
