Air Force changing details for retiree funerals

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Madelyn Waychoff
  • Air Force Honor Guard Public Affairs
BOLLING AIR FORCE BASE, D.C. (AFRNS) --  Manpower cuts and a high operations tempo, plus more retiree funerals than ever in Air Force history, mean base honor guards Air Force-wide will change the way they perform retiree funerals starting Nov. 1.

The formal 10-person funeral will no longer be authorized for retiree funerals. The funeral detail will now consist of seven people who will serve as pall bearers, flag folders, flag presenter, bugler, spare, and firing party. This is to provide a 30-percent manpower relief for retiree funeral details, and 21-percent manning relief for overall funeral details, according to Pentagon air staff officials.

"The main concern people had in the change of the funeral procedures was that we wouldn't be keeping with past traditions," said Staff Sgt. David Little, U.S. Air Force Honor Guard course supervisor for base honor guards. "Originally, the number of (Airmen) was going to be lowered to five, but we didn't want to lose the pall-bearing aspect so we determined that seven people would still be able to carry on all aspects of the funeral."

This new funeral sequence has three major differences: the noncommissioned officer in charge of pall bearers also will be the NCO in charge of the funeral, the number of firing party members will be reduced to three, and a spare position will be added.

The new sequence begins with the NCO of pallbearers assuming the position of NCO in charge to ensure the casket and flag are situated properly in the hearse. He or she will then join the pallbearers and call commands to carry the casket to gravesite, and finally present the flag to the family while the other team members assume their roles as either the bugler, spare or firing party. The final sequences are the same. A video was released Sept. 24 documenting the new funeral, and is available on the Air Force Honor Guard Web site.

"Another concern we've heard is that people think we're taking away the '21-gun salute' by having only three people fire," said Sergeant Little. "But what people don't realize is that we've never done a 21-gun salute during military funeral honors. What we do is fire three volleys in unison. Only the president receives a 21-gun salute, and only the Navy and Army have ever performed this.

"The three volleys come from an old battlefield custom where the two warring sides would cease hostilities to clear their dead from the battlefield, then would fire three volleys to alert the other side their dead had been properly cared for and they were ready to resume the battle," he said. "The fact that we had seven people firing the three volleys was a coincidence."
Overall, the reaction has been positive, Sergeant Little said.

"Retirees are grateful; they knew the Air Force was going to make changes, so they're happy we kept all aspects," he said. "The bases have been having a hard time supporting the 10-person funeral so this eases their personnel strain, and the base honor guards are happy with the new sequence."

Training for the new sequence is not difficult either, Sergeant Little said. "We've had a lot of phone calls about the video, but what is important to remember is that all the manuals are the same. It's what you've already been trained on.

"The only differences are the sequences, and those are narrated to help each person understand (his or her) role. We're not teaching movements, we're teaching the sequence," he said. "The order of events is the same as the 10-person; the only real differences are the addition of the spare and the sequence at the back of the hearse."

For more information or questions regarding funeral policy or protocol, call the Pentagon air staff at (703) 604-4928. (Courtesy of Air Force Print News)