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Scott AFB Honor Guard provides burial honors

  • Published
  • By Airman Gwendalyn Smith
  • 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Il. --  When a military veteran passes away, Scott Air Force Base Honor Guard ensures appropriate funeral honors are rendered.

"We want to honor every eligible service member and make sure (we) are there to render all the appropriate honors," said Deborah Skillman, Defense of Department director of casualty and mortuary affairs in a recent news report. "Families need to know that the DoD is going to be there when the honors are requested."

In addition to knowing what options are available for funeral and burial honors, Skillman recommended that families ensure they have access to their family member's DD Form 214, which proves eligibility. They should also know that they can work through their funeral director to request military honors, or through the member's branch of service. In addition, the funeral directors can work with the Veterans Administration for other benefits such as headstones, flags and burial plots.

According to a DoD statement, veterans who served less than 20 years qualify for a two-manned team, which includes playing of Taps, the folding of the U.S. flag and the flag presentation. By law, a minimum of a two-person uniformed detail is required; however, commanders honor servicemen and women with larger teams as resources allow.

Retirees, who served 20 years or more, are eligible for a seven-man team, which involves a firing party, pallbearers, flag folding detail, flag presentation, and a person to play Taps.

Members who pass away on active duty qualify for a 20-man honor guard team. Active duty funerals also include a dedicated colors team, casket team and seven-man firing party.

Providing these honors for Air Force members locally falls to Scott's Honor Guard, which is made up of volunteers who serve for four months at a time to support an 110,000 square-mile region comprised of the entire state of Illinois, and parts of Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

All military branches of service are supported; however, by law, at least one member of the Honor Guard team must be from that person's branch of service (i.e., Army, Navy).

Senior Airman Joshua Riley, Scott Honor Guardsman, said the teams who provide funeral support are true professionals dedicated to providing a dignified ceremony.

"It's about giving that last honor to the deceased and to the family members," he said.
Tech. Sgt. Jibri Perry, Scott Honor Guard NCO in charge, added that they care deeply about providing honors to the family and the passed military member.

"We understand how important the honor guard services are to family members," Perry said. "Performing honors is an important responsibility for our team. Honoring past and present service members who have paved the way for us is something we are privileged to do."

For more information, contact Scott AFB Honor Guard at (618) 256-4586. Other useful links include the DoD's Military Funeral Honors website at www.dmdc.osd.mil/mfh , and the VA's website for the National Cemetery Administration at www.cem.va.gov/cem/burial_benefits.