Our Weekly Tip: Preparing for Your Full Military Funeral Honors

Photo Credit: Staff Sergeant Charity Barrett

Our Tip of the Week: If your loved one or you served in the military, free military honors benefits might be available. Check your eligibility today to prepare the necessary paperwork.

The U.S. military is required by law to provide eligible members and former members with a full honor guard detail at no charge. The ceremony includes flag folding, the recital of “Taps” and a grave marker in a military cemetery. It is a way to honor loved ones who were in the armed forces, all at no cost to the families.

How-to Suggestion: The first step in requesting your full military honors is to prepare the paperwork ahead of time. Military officials ask that the family retains a copy of the veteran’s Discharge from Active Duty form (DD Form 214). You can request this document from the National Archives if you don’t have it in your possession. If you cannot find the DD Form 214, you can submit another discharge document, but its verification is subject to review.

Once you have your DD Form 214, talk to a funeral director about full military honors. Funeral directors have direct communication with military officials who handle honors in your county or state. The funeral director will handle all arrangements from there, requiring little to no additional work for the family.

Before you apply for full military honors, make sure that your loved one or you meet eligibility requirements. In order to receive the benefit, the person must be a Selected Reserve active duty member or a former active duty member who received an honorable discharge. In addition, members need to have completed at least one term of enlistment. Veterans who were discharged due to disability or injury are also eligible for honors; only those who were dishonorably discharged are ineligible.