Eligibility It is the responsibility of the Department of Defense (DOD) to provide military honors to eligible veterans. The eligibility includes military personnel on active duty, former military members who served on active duty and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable, members of the Selected Reserve, former members of the Selected Reserve who served at least one term of enlistment or period of initial obligated service and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable, and former members of the Selected Reserve who were discharged due to a service related disability (Torreon, 2015). The veterans of the military who are ineligible are those convicted of a capital offense or when the circumstances involved would bring discredit upon the person’s service or Military funeral honors Most funeral directors are familiar with the military honors that veterans can receive at a funeral, graveside, or memorial service. There are normally varying honors that may be available for the services of veterans, depending upon their length of service, rank, and the availability of an honors team. The Department of Defense defines military funeral honors as “the ceremonial paying of respect and the final demonstration of the country’s gratitude to those who, in times of war and peace, have faithfully defended our nation.” Members of the funeral honors detail fold and present the American flag to the veteran’s survivor and “Taps” is sounded (Torreon, 2015). Arlington National Cemetery Scheduling services for a veteran at Arlington National Cemetery can be different from many other traditional and national cemeteries, such as the wait time before availability for a service. The honors performed for veterans interred or inurned at Arlington National Cemetery can be different, as well. The honors afforded to veterans at Arlington are according to rank. While all who are eligible may request a military chaplain to preside over the service, standard honors and a firing party are available to enlisted personnel, as well as all who are eligible for inurnment in the columbarium. Veterans who are commissioned officers or warrant officers are eligible for standard honors, a firing party, a caisson, and escort troops. The exception to these is any service members who dies from wounds received as a result of enemy actions and are being interred, inurned, or memorialized at Arlington National Cemetery, all of whom are eligible for full military funeral honors (Torreon, 2015). Active Duty Services When a member of the military is killed, or otherwise passes away while on active duty, the service will typically be more involved as compared to the service for a veteran. When a member of the armed forces passes away while serving on active duty, the Department of Defense begins the necessary preparations to return the fallen service member to their family as quickly as possible. Military personnel in full dress uniform who have a rank equal to or higher than that of the deceased notify the family of the deceased in person. However, rank has no bearing as to the utmost level of respect the body of the deceased is shown in being prepared and returned to family (Mertes, 2018). When a member of the military dies while deployed overseas, the body is packed in ice inside of an aluminum case draped by an American flag. The body is transported by a military cargo plane to Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware. Upon arrival, the plane is met by a hearse used to transfer the body to the nearby Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Center. Any family members, the carry guard, chaplain, VIPs, or journalists are able to walk behind the hearse to the Operations Center. The policy was changed in 2009, allowing arrivals of the deceased to Dover Air Force Base to be open to the public. However, this only
former service. Veterans who were discharged from the military under dishonorable conditions are also ineligible for military funeral honors. The conditions included are dishonorable discharge, bad conduct discharge, dismissal from the service by court-martial, and other than honorable conditions discharge. The same conditions that consider a veteran ineligible to military funeral honors also prohibit the veteran from interment at a national cemetery. The language of this law was expanded through Congress in 1997, in large part to prevent the Oklahoma City bomber, Timothy McVeigh, from being buried at Arlington National Cemetery when he was executed in 2001 (Torreon, 2015). Funeral honors are composed of a minimum detail of two members of the Armed Forces. One member of the detail is to be a member of the veteran’s military service. For example, if the veteran was a member of the Army, there may be an honor guard detail with one member of the Army and one member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marines. The honors detail may also include veterans who volunteer to serve in this capacity. These veteran volunteers are members of veterans’ service organizations such as the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and other appropriate organizations. The playing of “Taps” may be by a live bugler, by recording, or by the use of a ceremonial bugle that contains a device in the bell of the bugle which plays a recorded version of “Taps” (Torreon, 2015). applies to those who have the approval of the next of kin of the deceased (Mertes, 2018). The Mortuary Affairs personnel will completely prepare the remains for burial, including dressing the body in a full dress uniform. Personnel arrange a direct flight by the military (or a military contracted flight) to transfer the deceased to the closest airport in relation to the place of burial, including small airports. The law requires that the deceased be accompanied by a military escort. However, the family may request that a commercial flight be used and/or an escort does not attend the flight. The body is contained in an aluminum case for the transfer flight, but with a special “honor” cover on the air tray. The honor cover has the Defense Department seal on each end and is embossed with an American flag. Upon arrival at the final destination, the cover of the air tray is to be removed and the aluminum coffin is to be draped with a flag (Mertes, 2018). For all active duty deaths, a small honor guard will be on hand at the airport of final destination. This honor guard will consist of at least one uniformed member of the military along with the military escort (Mertes, 2018). Many airports and airlines will now allow families to meet the flight on the tarmac, along with personnel from the funeral home arranging the services. Local police agencies will often provide escorts from the airport to the funeral home. Other groups such as the Patriot Guard are often willing and able to participate in processions from the airport, as well. The official duties of the military escort end upon arrival of the deceased to the funeral home. Even though the escort is not required to remain for the services, they frequently will. The escort, or other members of the military, will likely accompany the family to the funeral home for the arrangements and assist the director with all the details in arranging for honors and other military participation in the services. It is important for the director to communicate with any representative of the military that helps in coordinating military involvement to ensure every aspect of the service is prepared for accordingly (Mertes, 2018).
Book Code: FTX1624
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