Trooper Sean Cantrell attended the presidential inauguration last week in an official capacity. He was one of four troopers from the Cookeville district to be assigned to protect the parade route.

“It was an exciting week, I’ll tell you that.” Tramel told the Review. “There were police officers from all over the country. We were sworn in at the National Guard Armory, and there were more than 3,000 officers at the swearing in ceremony. It was amazing to see all those different uniforms all getting sworn in at the same time. We were paired with Louisville and Cincinnati, and the constables from Texas were great guys.”

The troopers were charged with protecting the parade route.

“We were assigned to the parade deck right in front of the J. Edgar Hoover Building,” Tramel shared. “From the Capitol to the White House there was nothing but police officers five feet apart on both sides of the road. It was our assignment to keep the public off the parade deck.”

The trooper said that the protests where he was stationed were relatively calm.

“We could see the capitol from where we were. There were tons of people, and a lot of protestors. The ones we saw weren’t violent and burning things. They were peaceful. Some of them had some signs you couldn’t show on TV, and some of the things they were chanting were inappropriate, but the ones trying to cause a problem were a small percentage. There were protesters nearby, but they were good. The ones who were acting a fool were a block or so away from us, but it wasn’t like you saw on the news, where they made it look like the whole city was up in flames. The protesters I saw were peaceful. It got rough in a few spots, but that wasn’t near us.

Tramel said that then President-Elect Trump stopped his limo where the troopers were posted and got out on his way to the Capitol Building.

“That was the cool part. He stopped right in front of the J. Edgar Hoover Building. His limousine stopped, and he got out. Everybody cheered and screamed. The crowd went wild. He walked right up behind me. I got goosebumps knowing the leader of the free world was right there. The crowd was chanting ‘USA, USA,’ and it sent chills down my spine.”

Tramel, a former U.S. Marine, said that in his experience, meeting a president is a big deal no matter which party he belongs to.

“I got to meet President Obama back in 2009,” he informed. “I was in the Marines, and I got assigned to a Secret Service security detail. It was an advance team that goes out and sets up the area before the president comes. The President flew in on Marine One, and I got to meet him. I actually shook his hand, and I’m telling you, when he walked in it was the same way. The goosebumps, the chills, the pride, it was just the same. I was in the presence of the most powerful man in the world. It was exactly the same feeling with Obama as it was with Trump. It doesn’t matter what party you represent, it doesn’t matter what party you support. They’re the president. Just to be in the vicinity of the president is a great honor, and I would take a bullet for either of them. I could try all day long and not come up with the words to describe it.”

A reminder of home popped up on the parade route as well.

“The University of Tennessee marching band was there,” he said. “We were standing at our posts and we heard Rocky Top coming down the street. The troopers were all bobbing their heads. That was a cool feeling.”

The trooper said that every American should attend a presidential inauguration.

“It was an experience, and no matter who you support, or which party you stand with, you need to go to at least one inauguration in your lifetime, even if it’s a president you don’t like. It is a very powerful experience. I’m honored to have had the opportunity, and I hope I get to go again in four years.”