MILWAUKEE — A group of Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) officers are practicing for their role as members of the MPD Honor Guard, honoring their brother in blue at his funeral.

The funeral for Milwaukee Police Officer Kendall Corder will be Friday July 11 at Elmbrook Church in Brookfield, Wis. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with the funeral right after.

Corder was shot and killed responding to call on Milwaukee’s North Side last Thursday.

Milwaukee police officers who are members of the ceremonial MPD Honor Guard have been practicing for the funeral.

On July 3, they gathered for eight hours to go through everything. That included the rifle presentation, marching together, staying in sync and presenting the flags.

“To make sure we can hold our emotions, because we need to be the rock for the family," said Sgt. Paul Graczyk. "We can’t sit there and be emotional. I can’t be crying when I’m trying to comfort Kendall’s grandmother and father, because it’s their turn to cry.”

One member of the honor guard was close friends with Corder.

Graczyk acknowledged how challenging that is to do. He declined to be part of the funeral for his close friend MPD Officer Peter Jerving, who was killed in the line of duty two years ago.

“I was with Officer Jerving,” said Sgt. Graczyk. “It was difficult for me. I didn’t participate. You’re right up there and the family is right next to you, crying, consoling each other. People are coming in and they’re crying, and you have to be that stoic defender, because we are guarding that officer until it’s time to send him to his next life.”

That’s why the MPD Honor Guard takes its role, and practicing for it, so seriously. It represents respect and remembrance as fellow officers, community leaders, family and friends gather to honor their brother in blue, whose life was cut tragically short.