The U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet Honor Guard is a very prestigious cadet unit, drawing less than 2 percent of the Cadet Wing as its members. Steeped in tradition, the Cadet Honor Guard was founded in 1974 primarily to function as an exhibition drill unit. While still maintaining this function, the unit later took on the responsibility of being the sole cadet unit to perform Color Guard, flag details, and all other ceremonial details. In 1994, the unit took on the responsibility of being the only unit to provide funeral honors for cadets and graduates of the academy. More than just a military unit, the Cadet Honor Guard is a team with a strong sense of pride, dedication, and purpose, which stem from the traditions of the fourth class year on the team.

The unit is made up of approximately 70 cadets, both male and female, with each class year providing 14-20 cadets as part of the unit. As a fourth class cadet on the team, the main duty is learning exhibition drill, and eventually competing and winning national competitions. The Cadet Honor Guard has won numerous titles for its excellence in military inspection, regulation drill, exhibition drill, along with awards for outstanding fourth class commanders.

While also serving full-time as the primary training cadre for the fourth class cadets, it is the upper class cadets on the team that perform all ceremonial and funeral honors for the Cadet Wing, as well as numerous ceremonies for the local, national, and sometimes international communities. In addition, the upper class cadets maintain an exhibition drill unit to perform nationally while the fourth class cadets are still learning the skills to properly represent the academy.

The Cadet Honor Guard is a unit with many service missions. The team serves the Cadet Wing by providing ceremonial detail support, it serves the academy by performing ceremonial details and winning exhibition drill competitions around the nation, and it serves the local and national communities by providing an opportunity for the public to see the discipline and precision that cadets learn while attending the institution.