Members of the US Air Force Honor Guard carry a casket through Section 25 of Arlington National Cemetery.

Post author:Clifford Crittenden
Post published:April 21, 2021
Post category:Uncategorized

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Pictured above, a soldier in “The Old Guard”, honors a fallen veteran at Arlington National Cemetery. The 3d U.S. Infantry, traditionally known as “The Old Guard,” is the oldest active-duty infantry unit in the Army, serving our nation since 1784. The Old Guard is the Army’s official ceremonial unit and escort to the president, and it also provides security for Washington, D.C., in time of national emergency or civil disturbance. The unit received its unique name from Gen. Winfield Scott during a victory parade at Mexico City in 1847 following its valorous performance in the Mexican War. Fifty campaign streamers attest to the 3d Infantry’s long history of service, which spans from the Battle of Fallen Timbers to World War II and Vietnam. Since World War II, The Old Guard has served as the official Army Honor Guard and escort to the President. In that capacity, 3d Infantry soldiers are responsible for conducting military ceremonies at the White House, the Pentagon, national memorials and elsewhere in the nation’s capital. In addition, soldiers of The Old Guard maintain a 24-hour vigil at the Tomb of the Unknowns, provide military funeral escorts at Arlington National Cemetery and participate in parades at Fort Myer and Fort Lesley J. McNair. The black-and-tan “buff strap” worn on the left shoulder by each member of the 3d Infantry is a replica of the knapsack strap used by 19th-century predecessors of the unit to display its distinctive colors and distinguish its members from other Army units. The present buff strap continues to signify an Old Guard soldier’s pride in personal appearance and precision performance that has marked the unit for 200 years. A further distinction of The Old Guard is the time-honored custom of passing in-review with fixed bayonets at all parades. This practice, officially sanctioned by the War Department in 1922, dates to the Mexican War in 1847 when the 3d Infantry led a successful bayonet charge against the enemy at Cerro Gordo. Today, this distinction is still reserved for The Old Guard alone.

February 12, 2021

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¹ DEPENDENT SERVICES
When a spouse or other dependent of a current or former member of the Armed Forces is buried at Arlington, the military service in which the primary party served will provide:

A chaplain
A casket team (body bearers / pall bearers)

No other military funeral honors will be rendered unless the spouse also served in the military.

² STANDARD HONORS SERVICES
Enlisted service members, WO-1 through CW-3, and O-1 through O-3, interred/inurned at Arlington National Cemetery will receive honors provided by the decedent’s branch of service. These honors include:

A chaplain
A casket team (body bearers / pall bearers)
A firing party
A bugler

³ FULL HONORS SERVICES
In addition to the standard military funeral honors, some Commissioned and Warrant officers and senior non-Commissioned Officer with a pay grade of E-9, CW-4 and CW-5, and O-4 and above:

ARMY: Sergeant Major (SGM), Command Sergeant Major (CSM), Sergeant Major of the Army (SMA),
NAVY & COAST GUARD: Master Chief Petty Officer (MCPO), Fleet/Command Master Chief Petty Officer, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON), or Coast Guard (MCPOCG),
MARINES: Master Gunnery Sergeant (MGySgt), Sergeant Major (SgtMaj), Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps (SgtMajMC),
AIR FORCE: Chief Master Sergeant (CMSgt), First Sergeant, Command Chief Master Sergeant, Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force (CMSAF),

are eligible for full military funeral honors at Arlington National Cemetery including:

A chaplain
A casket team (body bearers / pall bearers)
A firing party
A bugler
A military band
An escort platoon (size varies according to the rank of the deceased)

Additionally, those eligible for full military funeral honors at Arlington National Cemetery may use the caisson (UNAVAILABLE until Spring 2025), if available. Officers in the rank of colonel and above in the Army and the Marine Corps may be provided a caparisoned (riderless) horse, if available. General/flag officers may receive a cannon salute (17 guns for a four-star general, 15 for a three-star, 13 for a two-star, 11 for a one-star), if available.