A US Army Caisson team passes in front of the Arlington House during preparation for a day of funerals in Arlington National Cemetery.

Post author:Clifford Crittenden
Post published:October 13, 2021
Post category:Uncategorized

[igp-video src=”” poster=”https://www.arlington.media/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/a-us-army-caisson-team-passes-in-front-of-the-arlington-house-during-preparation-for-a-day-of-funera-1.jpg” size=”large”]

Today is Military Spouse Appreciation Day. While soldiers carry and safeguard the flag at home and overseas, it is their spouses that hold down the fort and keep their families safe while waiting patiently for their return. Today we honor the contributions and sacrifices made by military spouses. Their commitment and support help to keep our country safe. Military spouses are silent heroes, essential to the strength of the nation. From the White House: As the members of our Armed Forces safeguard our Nation at home and around the world, they depend on the people they love for strength, comfort, joy, and stability. Military spouses may not always wear a uniform, but they serve and sacrifice alongside their service members and keep our military strong. On Military Spouse Appreciation Day, we recognize and thank the military spouses who serve our Nation and are critical to our national security. Military families are proud of the lives they build. Spouses understand that loving a service member means facing the challenges that can accompany their service: from leaving friends behind to changing jobs again; making parenting decisions alone to losing sleep at night; deployments to homecomings to more deployments. Still, military spouses have done what they do best: adapt, persevere, and keep going. When someone you love is hurting, you hurt with them. When your spouse is at home, trying to make ends meet, or is torn between taking care of your children and keeping a job, your heart breaks too. Service members cannot focus on their mission if their families do not have what they need to thrive at home, and we cannot expect to retain even the most dedicated service members if they are forced to choose between their love of country and the hopes and dreams they have for their families. That is why supporting military spouses is critical to keeping our Nation safe. On Military Spouse Appreciation Day, we recognize the importance of empowering spouses and ensuring they have the necessary tools and resources to thrive in all facets of their lives, including in the community, in the workforce, and at home. Photo: Sandy Scheffer-Hopkins/Arlington Media

May 7, 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.