Funeral Honors
Who's entitled to funeral honors?
IAW Title 10, United States Code, Section1491 and Title 10, United States Code, Section 985 and Title 38, United States Code, Section 2411
- Military members on active duty or in the Selected Reserve
- Former military members who served on active duty and departed under conditions other than dishonorable.
- Former military members who completed at least one term of enlistment or period of initial obligated service in the Selected Reserve and departed under conditions other than dishonorable.
- Former military members discharged from the Selected Reserve due to a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty.
Military Funeral Honors have always been provided whenever possible. However, the law now mandates the rendering of Military Funeral Honors for an eligible veteran if requested by the family. As provided by law, an honor guard detail for the burial of an eligible veteran shall consist of not less than two members. The honor detail will, at a minimum, perform a ceremony that includes the folding and presenting of the American flag to the next of kin and the playing of Taps. Taps will be played by a bugler, if available, or by electronic recording.
Installation Honor Guard Program and Conduct of Military Funeral Honors.
Retired Entitlements
Retired service members are entitled to military honors to include:
-6 pallbearers, playing of Taps, firing party, chaplain services, flag fold/presentation, and a military police escort (escort to Ft. Richardson Nat'l Cemetery Only).
Sequence of Events
Honor Guard (HG) members will report to predetermined location for rehearsal before hearse and funeral party arrive. Upon arrival of the funeral party and hearse, HG members will perform pallbearer duties as well as fold and award the flag to the next of kin. Taps will be played after HG members perform a 3-man firing party sequence.
Veteran Entitlements
Veteran service members are entitled to military honors to include:
2 person flag fold/presentation and playing of taps.
Sequence of Events
HG members will report to predetermined location for rehearsal before hearse and funeral party arrives. Upon arrival of the funeral party and hearse, HG members will perform the flag fold/presentation. Once the flag is folded taps will be played and presentation of the flag to NOK.
Retirement Ceremony Entitlements
Retiring service members are entitled to a pre-post/presentation or presentation/posting of the colors. A Flag presentation, scripted or unscripted.
Sequence of Events
HG members will report to predetermined location for ceremony rehearsal prior to the event. During rehearsal, organizing officials acting on behalf of the retiring service member will determine if colors are to be pre-posted prior to the event and presented by HG members during the ceremony (pre-post/presentation) or presented and posted by HG during the ceremony (presentation/posting). Also, organizing officials acting on behalf of the retiree will determine the order of the 2 person flag fold/presentation within the ceremony's sequence of events. On the day of the event, HG members will arrive 1 hour before the ceremony for preparation. HG members will then perform colors presentation and flag fold/presentation as requested during event rehearsal.
