Enhanced Honors for Deceased Service Members/Military Honor Guards at Arrival Airports
This MARADMIN implements Department of Defense policy requiring military honor guards to render appropriate honors plane-side at arrival airports for all fallen active duty service members. The Casualty Assistance Calls Officer (CACO) nearest to the place of burial is responsible for coordinating a minimum two-Marine honor guard consisting of the CACO and escort, with larger details determined by available resources and operational considerations.
Issued: April 17, 2006
1. ON 9 FEBRUARY 2006, THE OFFICE OF THE UNDERSECRETARY OF DEFENSE PUBLISHED A MEMORANDUM TITLED "ENHANCED HONORS FOR DECEASED SERVICE MEMBERS." THE MEMORANDUM ESTABLISHES DEPARTMENTAL POLICY THAT, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT POSSIBLE, SMALL HONOR GUARDS WILL RENDER APPROPRIATE HONORS PLANE-SIDE AT THE ARRIVAL AIRPORTS FOR ALL FALLEN ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS. THE FOLLOWING IS HQMC DIRECTION TO ALL UNITS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS POLICY. 2. THE CASUALTY ASSISTANCE CALLS OFFICER (CACO) CLOSEST TO THE PLACE OF BURIAL WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR COORDINATING THE HONOR GUARD. AT A MINIMUM, THE HONOR GUARD WILL CONSIST OF TWO MARINES (THE CACO AND THE ESCORT); THE ACTUAL SIZE AND COMPOSITION OF THE HONOR GUARD ABOVE THIS MINIMUM WILL BE DETERMINED BY THE CACO'S COMMAND AND WILL BE BASED ON AVAILABLE RESOURCES, OPERATIONAL TEMPO, FEASIBILITY OF COORDINATION REQUIRED FOR LARGER DETAILS, AND THE INHERENT COMPLEXITIES OF AIRLINE OPERATIONS. 3. IF ANY AIRLINE OR AIRPORT DOES NOT ALLOW THE MINIMUM TWO-MAN HONOR GUARD TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE TARMAC TO VIEW OFF-LOADING AND RENDER APPROPRIATE HONORS, AS REQUIRED BY DOD POLICY, THE REQUIRED PROCEDURES WILL BE AS FOLLOWED: CONTACT THE TRANSPORTATION SECURITY OPERATIONS CENTER (TSOC) AT (703) 563-3201; IF THE TSOC IS NOT ABLE TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM, THEN CONTACT THE HQMC CASUALTY SECTION AT 1-800-847-1597; IN ADDITION, AN EMAIL MESSAGE MUST BE SENT TO THE CASUALTY SECTION ORGANIZATIONAL MAILBOX (CASUALTY.SECTION@USMC.MIL) WITH A NARRATIVE OF THE SITUATION TO INCLUDE: NAME OF DECEASED MARINE, DATE, AIRLINE, AIRPORT, BACKGROUND INFORMATION DETAILING WHAT DIFFICULTIES WERE ENCOUNTERED, AND FAMILY MEMBER INVOLVEMENT. 4 . THE NEXT REVISION OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE INSTRUCTION (DODI) 1300.18 "MILITARY PERSONNEL CASUALTY MATTERS, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES", DOD DIRECTIVE 1300.22 "MORTUARY AFFAIRS POLICY", AND THE "MARINE CORPS CASUALTY PROCEDURES MANUAL" MCO P3040.4F WILL INCLUDE PERMANENT GUIDANCE FOR THIS REQUIREMENT.