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A new South Carolina law ensures that all military veterans will receive a military funeral with full honors.
The new law allows coroners or funeral directors with unclaimed remains to release the deceased’s information to military groups to find out if he was a veteran who served honorably and has earned the right to be buried with full military honors.
John Rieser, an army veteran from Conway, S.C., passed away about three years ago without any family to claim his remains. He was an only child and his parents had already died. When a veteran passes away it is up to the family to request a military funeral.
Rieser’s co-workers said that there was a good chance that he was a veteran. Robert Edge, the county’s coroner, wanted to find out if he was and give him full honors, but he didn’t know where to turn.
Two American Legion members, Larry Truax and John Bianchi, came to the rescue. They pushed the bill this year through the South Carolina legislature. They saw that their native state of New York had passed a similar law and decided that South Carolina needed one as well.
Rieser’s grave will be marked with a headstone that has his name, dates of birth and death, his service branch, rank and dates of service.
The Department of Defense (DOD) is responsible for providing military funeral honors. The law mandates that all military funerals are given free of charge to eligible veterans.
What the veteran’s family can expect at the ceremony:
Funeral home directors request military funeral honors on behalf of the Veterans’ family from the DOD. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) National Cemetery Administration cemetery staff can also assist with arranging military funeral honors at VA national cemeteries. Veterans organizations are allowed to assist in providing military funeral honors. If the family wishes the funeral to take place at a national cemetery, the funeral home arranges it prior to the committal date.
Those eligible for military funeral honors are:
The DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, is used to show eligibility. If it’s not available, any discharge document showing other than dishonorable service can be used. The DD Form 214 can be requested by filling out a Standard Form 180 and mailing it to:
National Personnel Records Center (NPRC)
9700 Page Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63132
The Standard Form 180 may be obtained from the National Archives.
Photos courtesy of Beverly & Pack and The National Guard
Summer is in full swing, and managing everything that comes with it can be difficult. Although family vacations and outings are certainly highlights of the season, it’s safe to say planning the perfect getaway or even afternoon is stressful in the lives of already busy families. On top of that, you want to make sure you’re getting the best possible deal on your next summer purchase. How do you find great military bargains without using up some of your precious family time? We’re here to help you save time and money. We’d like to introduce our Summer Military Deals and Discounts Guide that contains more deals than one could dream of using in a summer.
On Tuesday, the National Parks Service announced a new military pass available to active duty service members and their families for free. The military pass will become available this Saturday, May 19, in honor of Armed Forces Day.
Armed Forces Day was created in 1949 by Defense Secretary Louis Johnson to unite the different branches of the military. Rather than separate celebrations for Army, Navy and Air Force Days, all the branches would celebrate Armed Forces Day annually on the third Saturday in May.
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When young adults get a college degree it’s good for the whole country. That’s why there are options no matter who you are, including military dependents.
The 2011-12 academic year is nearing an end, but it’s never too early to begin thinking about next year. Here are a few scholarship opportunities that military families may want to consider:
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After completing service in the military and deciding to attend a higher learning institution, figuring out your GI Bill benefits can be quite challenging.
When I left the Air Force in 2009, I knew I wanted to attend the University of Missouri under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. What I didn’t know was that Missouri had its own state-sponsored programs that would make the older Montgomery GI Bill a much better deal.
These are the things no one tells you when you’re leaving the military to attend school, and, if you’re not careful, can end up costing you money. The GI Bill continues to be one of the best benefits to having served, but in order to get the most out of it, you’ll need to be prepared. See More
Veterans and service members just separating from active duty who can’t find a job could qualify for unemployment compensation.
The transition back into civilian life is not easy, that’s why the Unemployment Compensation for Ex-Service members program (UCX) is there to help out on the financial front when those who serve separate from the military and prepare to move into the civilian workforce.
Now that almost 15 percent of the active duty troops are female, the VA is facing a handful of challenges. Not all of these concerns have to do with women’s care after they leave the service, in fact there have been rising reports of concerns about active duty medical care for women. As a result, the Department of Defense has also begun to address some of the active duty women’s concerns.
Here’s a look at some of these concerns and what the federal entities are doing to try to accommodate women’s needs. See More
January is almost finished, but the Department of Veterans Affairs has its work cut out for it in 2012. Throughout the year, military families should expect to hear and see the VA take on several issues.
The VA budget for fiscal year 2012 is $58.5 billion. However, the federal budget plan also apportioned a mandatory $63.8 billion for veterans programs, such as the VA home loan program. So for future military homeowners who thought the program was in jeopardy due to budget cuts, fear not.
Portions of that $58.5 billion already got allotted for the following uses. See More
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) now has less than 180 days to figure out how to move military personnel through airport screening faster.
The impetus is the Risk-Based Security Screening for Members of the Armed Forces Act, a bill signed into law by President Obama on Jan. 3. Essentially it means military personnel in uniform should be able to get though airport screening quicker with improvements from TSA. The changes will be related to defining who merits more attention using a “risk-based” assessment of all passengers.
For any family to adopt, it takes knowledge, patience and love. Unfortunately for military families, there can be a few more obstacles in adopting a child that makes these traits even more important.
Knowledge is crucial because there are many laws at the state and federal levels to keep in mind while going through the adoption process. Most of these laws are dependent on what state you live in and where the child will be coming from (here’s a list of state laws). For example, you may adopt within your own state lines or while stationed overseas.
No matter the circumstances of the adoption, there will be very specific laws that apply to your situation. See More
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