LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Devin Richey, a southern Indiana native, had the honor of standing guard over President Jimmy Carter's casket as the nation paid its respects to the former president.

Carter, the 39th president of the United States, died Dec. 29. Before his state funeral, he laid in state with his casket centered in our nation's capitol rotunda.

Petty Officer 1st Class Devin Richey, a 2014 graduate of Austin High School, serves in the United States Coast Guard and has spent the last year and a half as an honor guardsman. Last week, from Wednesday to Thursday, Richey stood at the head of the former president's casket as thousands poured in to pay their respects. It was a moment of profound significance for the 10-year Coast Guard veteran.

"It was different," Richey said. "This one was certainly different."

The role has taken him across the globe, from funerals at Arlington National Cemetery to events in the Czech Republic and even a Brooklyn Nets game.

As part of the Honor Guard, Richey is tasked with representing the Coast Guard at events of national importance. While the job often involves moments of pageantry, he said Carter's funeral was a chance to reflect on the magnitude of the occasion.

"You feel all of the emotions. I have cold chills right now, actually," he said. "It really is an honor to get to do the things I get to do, and, sometimes, reflecting on that is important."

Devin Richey

Devin Richey, a southern Indiana native, had the honor of standing guard over President Jimmy Carter's casket as the nation paid its respects to the former president.

Richey, who joined the Coast Guard less than a month after high school, said being part of the Honor Guard allows him to connect his small-town roots with the broader mission of serving the country.

"For something as big as President Carter's state funeral, it gives somebody from those small towns something to connect with," he said.

Standing guard over Carter's casket also gave Richey a chance to reflect on the former president's legacy.

"I don't think anyone doubts what type of man, the type of character that he had," he said. "That was really important for me to, as I was standing there, reflect on what kind of legacy do I want to leave? That was how his legacy had inspired me to continue moving forward."

Richey said he doesn't take the opportunities afforded to him lightly.

"A lot of really great opportunities have come from this, and I don't take it lightly," he said. "I really, really, really try to be intentional about where I am when I'm there and not lose sight of the magnitude of what I'm doing represents and how important it is to the nation."

On Monday, Richey will add another honor to his list of duties, serving as part of the cordon welcoming former President Donald Trump to the White House following the inauguration.

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