When you are arranging a funeral for a loved one, it might be the case they are eligible for military funeral honors. This is a beautiful way to honor the memory of the person who has passed if they were a veteran who defended the nation. A funeral with military funeral honors allows them to be thanked for their service and is a lovely way to pay tribute to the person who has passed. It makes it extra special for the deceased’s loved ones and is an elegant way of celebrating their life. But a lot of people don’t know if their loved one is eligible for military funeral honors. Therefore, here is our guide to how to determine military funeral honors eligibility.
Military funeral honors
The first thing we need to discuss is exactly what military funeral honors are. These are honors that are for a person who has perhaps served in the army in the past or has died during combat. Various factors make your loved one eligible for this type of funeral. When your loved one passes away, you need to request the military service for this type of honor service. You need to give them as much documentation as possible to prove why your loved one deserves these special honors from the military. You can also get help from a veteran funeral service or even your funeral director who can liaise with the military.
So what exactly happens during military funeral honors? As part of the honors, they play ‘Taps’ which was first recognized by the army in the late 1800s. This traditional recording is an emotional tribute to the person who has passed. The casket has the flag presented by the service members who will be there in their full-service uniform. A color guard can attend and additional events such as a military flyover can take place if requested
Military funeral honors eligibility
To be eligible for these honors, the person will have:
- Served in the military and died while on duty.
- Served in either the naval or air service or military and discharged under ‘honorable conditions’
- Been a member of the reserves who was released under ‘honorable’ conditions
- A member of the Commissioned Officers Corps of the Public Health Service
- Civilians who were classed as active duty designees in either the Navy, Air force services or the military.
However, you are not eligible if you are:
- Anyone who left the armed forces under dishonorable conditions.
- A person who was committed of a crime, not yet convicted
- A veteran who has been charged with a capital or federal crime, including those who class as a sex offender
- Those who were not officially inducted into military service
Standard military honors
If a veteran is eligible, their family might be requested standard military honors. These are by law and are at no cost to the grieving family. These will include the Taps as discussed above which will either be played by stereo or will be played by a bugler and standard military honors will also include a two-person honor guard. The flag provided will be folded and handed to the family and burial flags can be supplied to the family for free. If the person who died is a member of the navy, their family may request a burial at sea. The service is likely to take place during deployment and then the remains will be taken out to sea.
Full military honors
While similar, full military honors tends to be given to those who have reached higher ranks. For example, if they reached E-9, O-4 or above, they will be entitled to full honors. If they have been killed during active service or even as a prisoner of war, they will also be entitled to this. As well as the standard honors, they will also get extras such as marching escorts, a firing salute, a band and even pallbearers. They will likely get a flypast too on the day of the funeral. There is a variety of things available to those whose deceased family member is entitled to full military honors, it just depends on the availability and the various cemetery guidelines.
