Posted on Aug 19, 2019
SFC S2 Intelligence Ncoic
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I have a brief for SLC due next week and I need some assistance. It's on what is the actual role of a Senior NCO (E7 and up) during Military funeral honors. I understand that basically any NCO or Officer can be the NCOIC or OIC, but this is very specific. Please do not tell me to just reference the AR or FM, I can do that myself. Any and all expertise is appreciated. Thank you very much.
Posted in these groups: Funeral honors1 FuneralNCOIC
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Responses: 4
MAJ Ken Landgren
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Edited 5 y ago
-The NCOIC works with the OIC for requisite coordination for funerals and training aids to include gun racks and locks. Conduct a recon with a team and a dry rehearsal. You will need to coordinate for Casualty Assistance for the funerals.

-Ensure training is perfect from unloading the coffin, putting on the flag on the coffin properly, folding the flag, the NCOIC will inspect the flag after the folding insert 3 shells, and give it to the OIC with the pointy end pointed to the OIC.

-The OIC will kneel and present the flag to the next of kin flat face toward the surviving kin. The OIC will say this as he presents the flag: On behalf of the President of the United States, the United States (Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force or Coast Guard ), and a grateful nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one's honorable and faithful service. He breaks eye contact, does an about face and walks away.

-21 shots will be rendered.

-Taps will be played.

-These are the major events, however if I am wrong please correct me. I have done military funerals but that was 15 years ago, and I am kind of effed up now.
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GySgt Kenneth Pepper
GySgt Kenneth Pepper
5 y
OIC? I did about 200 funeral (2-3 per week for 3 years) and never had an officer participate. The SGTMAJ coordinated with the funeral director and I was the NCOIC. As a SSGT.
The flip side is I got to do color guard twice at World Series games at Yankee stadium.
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MAJ Ken Landgren
MAJ Ken Landgren
5 y
Well I did about 10 funerals as the OIC.
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SFC Ralph E Kelley
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Edited 5 y ago
Organize your troops and rehearsal is a must as many soldiers have never been on the detail. I'm sure some have - use them to assist after explaining what you want them to help with so they know what you expect. Most mess-ups occur because 'everyone's got this' - then they fumble.
There will be fumbles - don't sweat them as the rehearsal will iron them out - except when one of my soldiers ribbons popped off his (old army) dress green blouse and fell into the hole. NO one else noticed and the soldiers didn't drop the casket (or laugh, or panic) and the rest of the service went fine. We even had the diggers recover them after everyone left as the casket was only lowered and not covered over.
You're the supervisor so do the rehearsals until they're correct 3 times with your soldiers. Here are some key points I've found over the years which bite units again and again so they need to be practiced before departure from your unit because you do not have time once you arrive at the location.
Practice with a casket loaded (heavy as possible) with weights ,
Make your the Firing Squad shoot in sequence and that they understand the commands (retirees forget or civilians volunteers don't know things).
Make sure the bugler sounds "Taps" and it is sounded correctly (no fancy toots).
Never accept last minute 'replacements' because its screws everyone up who had made the rehearsals - they are a team now.

Here is what the Old Guard uses at Arlington Cemetery:
Sequence of Events for Military Funeral Honors
Burial at Arlington National Cemetery
1. The caisson or funeral coach arrives at gravesite, military members present arms (renders a salute).
2. Casket team secures the casket, non-commissioned officer-in-charge (NCOIC), officer-in-charge (OIC), and chaplain salute.
3. Chaplain leads the way to gravesite, followed by casket team.
4. Casket team sets down the casket and secures the flag.
5. The NCOIC/OIC ensures the flag is stretched out and level, and centered over the casket.
6. The family is seated.
7. NCOIC/OIC backs away and the chaplain, military or civilian, will perform the service.
8. At conclusion of interment service and before benediction, a cannon salute is fired for those eligible (i.e., general officers).
9. Chaplain concludes his service and backs away, NCOIC/OIC steps up to the casket.
10. The cemetery representative will ask all family members to rise for honors.
11. The NCOIC/OIC presents arms to initiate the rifle volley.
12. Rifle volley complete; bugler plays 'Taps.'
13. Family will be asked to be seated.
14. Casket team leader starts to fold the flag.
15. Flag fold complete, and the flag is passed to the NCOIC, OIC.
16. Casket team leaves gravesite.
17. The flag is presented to the next of kin.
18. For veterans of the Army, Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard, an Arlington Lady presents cards of condolence to the next of kin on behalf of their service chief and the lady herself.
19. Chaplain/family clergy extend condolences.
20.Cemetery representative announces that the service is concluded.
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I hope this helps. Good Luck.
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GySgt Kenneth Pepper
GySgt Kenneth Pepper
5 y
I spent 3 years on I&I and was the NCOIC on about 200 funerals. My best advice, make direct contact with the funeral director before the service. He/she should be your POC, not a family member. There will be conflicts over who should receive the flag (ex-wife, ex-ex-wife, GF). Let the FD work that out. I would normally ask them to stand behind the person that was the nearest kin. And always have a spare flag just in case.
One little touch I added is to have the firing detail NCO bring 3 expended cartridges down to place in each corner of the flag. That's not in any manual or regulation, but it felt right. I hope my burial detail take it as seriously as we did.
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SFC Ralph E Kelley
SFC Ralph E Kelley
5 y
GySgt Kenneth Pepper - Thanks for the additional advice. I always let the OIC handle those contacts while I trained up the troops. Great tip about the FD. And you are correct about always carry spare Flags.
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MAJ Ken Landgren
MAJ Ken Landgren
5 y
Be cautious of slippery slopes.
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SSG William Bruno
SSG William Bruno
5 y
It only takes a little rain or dew to make marching in dress shoes difficult and dangerous.
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SFC Jose Caraballo
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When I was stationed at Fort Drum in 2000; the Honors teams were decentralized to the units so my SNCO just coordinated the logistics; while I as an E5 handled rehearsals on casket movement, rifles, flag folding and their PRT. I also conducted the uniform inspections and POC coordination with the funeral homes from Albany, NY all the way to Boston, MA with an O1 as my OIC to do the flag presentation to the recipient. Fast forward 13 years, I'm stationed at Fort Gordon. Here the installation manages Honors team with a GS civilian coordinating everything logistically. Our mission ranged from funeral honors to retirement ceremonies to parade details. My primary role in this organization was to manage the 7 teams, monitor/evaluate rehearsals, random uniform inspections, facility management and the occasional funeral ceremony/dignitary event if my other duties didn't interfere. We had no OIC for funerals. Either I was presenting the flag or one of my E6's who were on my teams. So as you can see from my experience, your role may vary depending on the installation your at.
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MAJ Ken Landgren
MAJ Ken Landgren
5 y
I did like 10 military funerals. It wore us down.
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SFC Jose Caraballo
SFC Jose Caraballo
5 y
MAJ Ken Landgren - While on the Honors team at Ft. Drum, we did like 20-25 funerals in a 3 month span. We saw more road and countryside than our family during that time. At Fort Gordon in a similar 3 month span, we did 20 funerals, 4 Veteran's Day ceremonies, 2 retirement ceremonies, and 1 International Dignitary visit. That's when I realized I was getting to old for this. A lesson I learned from Ft. Drum was to ask the chaplain and mental health services for support. Yes it wears down on you mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. So every three weeks I had them alternate visits and give all 40+ soldiers an hour long class about seeking support or talking to family about what their experiencing and feeling. I heard after I reported back to my unit that the GS civilian in charge made those sessions regular practice because the SM's were appreciating and starting to utilize the support system placed.
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