Posted on Dec 15, 2015
21-gun salute eliminated from Air Force funerals due to lack of funding & personnel. Any Rally Point AD AF leaders who can confirm or deny?
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"A spokesman for the Air Force says it’s because of the lack of funding and personnel and it’s being done across the country. A memo was sent out to all the funeral homes saying the honor guard will reduce retiree and veteran funeral details from a seven-person detail to a three-person detail."
First of all, I don't know if this is true or not... Are there any Rally Point AF Leaders who can verify this? Is this just a local area (still shouldn't matter) or is this Air Force wide? Last I checked (some time ago), the Ft Huachuca HG is still doing this. So are there any other military branches affected? Any clarification would be appreciated.
Published: December 14, 2015, 4:48 pm Updated: December 14, 2015, 6:23 pm
The 21-gun salute is an honor earned by everyone who has served our country, but it’s no longer available to members of one branch of the military.
The U.S. Air Force says it can no longer provide the salute for funeral services.
A family contacted Action Line after they were told they cannot have the full honor guard service for a loved who served in the Air Force for more than 30 years.
When someone who served in the military is laid to rest, he or she is entitled to have a ceremony that includes the folding of the U.S. flag that is then handed to a family member, the traditional and solemn tune of Taps, and a 21-gun salute.
But those who served in the Air Force can only have two of those.
“To me, without the 21-gun salute, it just does not make it complete a proper military burial and I think because of sequestration or the lack of funds or whatever excuse they’re giving, that they had to hit the veterans,” said veteran Wayne Wakeman.
Wakeman served in the Air Force and Air National Guard for more than 36 years, and he’s shocked that this is happening.
“Once a veteran passes away, it’s for the family. It shows respect for the veteran to pass it on to the family,” he said. “My family suffered through a lot of the times I was away, when I was deployed, when I was somewhere else. They lived through it so to me, I think they’re the ones that earn it.”
A spokesman for the Air Force says it’s because of the lack of funding and personnel and it’s being done across the country. A memo was sent out to all the funeral homes saying the honor guard will reduce retiree and veteran funeral details from a seven-person detail to a three-person detail.
It’s still committed to ensuring proper honors. The three-person team will include two individuals who will fold and present the internment flag and one who will play Taps.
A spokesman also says if volunteers from the other military branches are willing to help, then Air Force veterans can still get a 21-gun salute.
“We’re all one big family as a U.S. military,” Wakeman said, “but to eliminate the 21-gun salute completely just for an Air Force veteran or someone that died in combat, I just cannot see that.”
KHON2 reached out to U.S. Representatives Tulsi Gabbard and Mark Takai and were told they are looking into this.
http://khon2.com/2015/12/14/21-gun-salute-eliminated-from-air-force-funerals-due-to-lack-of-funding-personnel/
First of all, I don't know if this is true or not... Are there any Rally Point AF Leaders who can verify this? Is this just a local area (still shouldn't matter) or is this Air Force wide? Last I checked (some time ago), the Ft Huachuca HG is still doing this. So are there any other military branches affected? Any clarification would be appreciated.
Published: December 14, 2015, 4:48 pm Updated: December 14, 2015, 6:23 pm
The 21-gun salute is an honor earned by everyone who has served our country, but it’s no longer available to members of one branch of the military.
The U.S. Air Force says it can no longer provide the salute for funeral services.
A family contacted Action Line after they were told they cannot have the full honor guard service for a loved who served in the Air Force for more than 30 years.
When someone who served in the military is laid to rest, he or she is entitled to have a ceremony that includes the folding of the U.S. flag that is then handed to a family member, the traditional and solemn tune of Taps, and a 21-gun salute.
But those who served in the Air Force can only have two of those.
“To me, without the 21-gun salute, it just does not make it complete a proper military burial and I think because of sequestration or the lack of funds or whatever excuse they’re giving, that they had to hit the veterans,” said veteran Wayne Wakeman.
Wakeman served in the Air Force and Air National Guard for more than 36 years, and he’s shocked that this is happening.
“Once a veteran passes away, it’s for the family. It shows respect for the veteran to pass it on to the family,” he said. “My family suffered through a lot of the times I was away, when I was deployed, when I was somewhere else. They lived through it so to me, I think they’re the ones that earn it.”
A spokesman for the Air Force says it’s because of the lack of funding and personnel and it’s being done across the country. A memo was sent out to all the funeral homes saying the honor guard will reduce retiree and veteran funeral details from a seven-person detail to a three-person detail.
It’s still committed to ensuring proper honors. The three-person team will include two individuals who will fold and present the internment flag and one who will play Taps.
A spokesman also says if volunteers from the other military branches are willing to help, then Air Force veterans can still get a 21-gun salute.
“We’re all one big family as a U.S. military,” Wakeman said, “but to eliminate the 21-gun salute completely just for an Air Force veteran or someone that died in combat, I just cannot see that.”
KHON2 reached out to U.S. Representatives Tulsi Gabbard and Mark Takai and were told they are looking into this.
http://khon2.com/2015/12/14/21-gun-salute-eliminated-from-air-force-funerals-due-to-lack-of-funding-personnel/
Branch
Funeral
Respect
Honor
Air Force
Edited 9 y ago
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 19
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I will personally pay for veterans that I know or were stationed with to receive a 21 gun salute
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Maj Matt Hylton
Has very little to do with funding and much more to do with manning. Without manpower, additional duties like this cannot be performed by base populace without sacrificing primary mission. Good, bad or indifferent, this is just another result of sequestration and the manning cuts over the past years.
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SMSgt Emo McParland
Dear Maj Matt Hylton;
As a Maintenance Superintendent of a very large section; we were tasked to provide folks to help clean the installation, cut the grass at the dorms, patrol base housing citing residents for uncut lawns, retreat, revely, squadron duties. Of all The BS We do, we could cut a few folks loose to bury Our Fallen Heros
As a Maintenance Superintendent of a very large section; we were tasked to provide folks to help clean the installation, cut the grass at the dorms, patrol base housing citing residents for uncut lawns, retreat, revely, squadron duties. Of all The BS We do, we could cut a few folks loose to bury Our Fallen Heros
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Maj Matt Hylton
SMSgt Emo McParland
Oh I know we have other crap we get tagged to do (and I call it crap on purpose - I couldn't believe some of the stuff I had to give up Airmen for during my last stint on active duty), but this is an installation commander's discretion item. If they don't want to man the Base Honor Guard to the level to give a 7 man detail vs. a 3 man detail to retirees, then that is the Base/CC's call. I ran the entire additional duty & augmentee program at Eielson AFB for a couple years with the wing Chief and all the group Chiefs - I'm well aware of all the in's and out's of these additional duty items, but it ultimately comes down to what the installation commander decides based on input from his people. Apparently, the most recent story originated out of Hawaii, so I'm guessing the Hickam CC in charge of their Honor Guard doesn't feel he has enough bodies to man the Base Honor Guard to that level and still maintain primary mission readiness - or at least that is what his CC's and Chiefs have told him.
The only other solution I could see to this is to fund full-time or part-time guard/reserve guys to augment the active duty Base Honor Guards. I know we had a few like that between Springfield, Pease, Rome & Otis when I was on the Hanscom Base Honor Guard. Of course, we had an extremely large area of responsibility: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and most of upstate New York.
Oh I know we have other crap we get tagged to do (and I call it crap on purpose - I couldn't believe some of the stuff I had to give up Airmen for during my last stint on active duty), but this is an installation commander's discretion item. If they don't want to man the Base Honor Guard to the level to give a 7 man detail vs. a 3 man detail to retirees, then that is the Base/CC's call. I ran the entire additional duty & augmentee program at Eielson AFB for a couple years with the wing Chief and all the group Chiefs - I'm well aware of all the in's and out's of these additional duty items, but it ultimately comes down to what the installation commander decides based on input from his people. Apparently, the most recent story originated out of Hawaii, so I'm guessing the Hickam CC in charge of their Honor Guard doesn't feel he has enough bodies to man the Base Honor Guard to that level and still maintain primary mission readiness - or at least that is what his CC's and Chiefs have told him.
The only other solution I could see to this is to fund full-time or part-time guard/reserve guys to augment the active duty Base Honor Guards. I know we had a few like that between Springfield, Pease, Rome & Otis when I was on the Hanscom Base Honor Guard. Of course, we had an extremely large area of responsibility: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and most of upstate New York.
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Can't possibly be true.
If it were, it would span all services, since the national cemeteries fall under the auspices of the VA, not any particular service.
If it were, it would span all services, since the national cemeteries fall under the auspices of the VA, not any particular service.
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Then it is up to US - you and I and all other Veterans to endure it does not fade away. Whenb I was living in NorCal several years ago a new National Cemetery opened in Vacaville, Ca. Several members of our PTSD therapy group got together and decided ALL veterans would receive a proper send off. They outfitted themselves with BDUs, borrowed rifles and provided an honor guard with taps at the funerals. I do not know if they are still doing this but it's something to consider.
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