Frequently Asked Questions

Before a service can be scheduled, all documentation needs to be submitted and reviewed by cemetery staff to establish and confirm eligibility.  We recommend that you have all of the required documentation together before you call the cemetery to schedule the service.

1. DD214 or equivalent service documentation showing honorable discharge and active duty service (mandatory for a veteran; second interment of spouse does not require this if the cemetery already has a copy on record).
2. Certificate of Death
3. Cremation certificate, if applicable
4. Burial Transit Permit, if applicable
5. Succession documents for the Person Authorized to Direct Disposition (PADD) to act on behalf of the Primary Next of Kin (PNOK).
6. Unmarried adult dependents require two additional documents. A notarized statement from an individual who has direct knowledge of the marital status, degree of dependency of the deceased child, the names of that child's parents, and the military service upon which the burial is being requested. Also required is a certificate from the attending physician regarding the nature and duration of the physical and/or mental disability.
7. Other additional documents will be required for signature before the service can take place. 

If you have questions about any of these documents please call the respective cemetery official for answers.

Generally, a minimum of three to five days are required to ensure that all elements of the service, such as a chaplain, military honors, or other attendees, can be coordinated and confirmed. However, the time from the initial phone call to the scheduler, to the actual service date depends on many factors. These are: the type of service being requested, availability of resources, holidays, and schedule availability, to name a few.

Gravesite reservations in Army cemeteries is not authorized. Only at the time of need (i.e., death) can a request for burial and an eligibility determination be made. Once eligibility for burial in the requested Army cemetery is established, a gravesite will be assigned.

Each cemetery has its own rules and regulations pertaining to grounds management, floral regulations, tours, events, ceremonies and many other items. The best way to find out the rules and regulations for a particular cemetery is to review published documents on this website or by calling the Cemetery Responsible Official.

The U.S. Government provides an upright marble or granite headstone or flat granite or marble marker at no charge to the applicant. The same applies to niche covers used in columbaria for those with cremated remains who are to be inurned in a columbarium.

Private headstones or markers are no longer authorized.

Questions about headstones can always be directed to the responsible cemetery official so that exact answers can be provided.

Upright white marble headstones (13x24x4) generally contain 11 lines of text with or without an optional emblem of belief. Generally, the stone can accommodate 13 characters (including spaces) on the name line, and 15 characters (including spaces) on all other lines. A veteran's government headstone must contain name, rank, branch of service, date of birth and date of death. Other lines can include combat service and significant awards. An additional inscription, not to exceed three lines, can be used to show a term of endearment or reference (e.g. Loving Father, Husband and Son; Fought for Freedom; Proud Soldier, etc.).

White marble niche covers (15¾ x 11¼ x ¼) generally contain 11 lines of text with or without an optional emblem of belief. Usually, the niche cover accommodates 11 characters (including spaces) on the name line, and 13 characters (including spaces) on all other lines except the 11th line which only contains 9 characters (including spaces). An additional inscription, not to exceed two lines (and shown at the bottom of the niche cover, under all decedents), can be used to show a term of endearment or reference (e.g. Loving Father, Husband and Son; Fought for Freedom; Proud Soldier, etc.).

Active Duty

When reporting the death of an active duty service member to the Department of the Army, which includes full-time Active Guard Reserve personnel (AGR), U. S. Army Reserve (USAR) personnel traveling directly en-route to or from or participating in Annual Training (AT), Active Duty Training (ADT), Initial Active Duty Training (IADT), Active Duty for Special Work (ADSW), Special Active Duty Training (SADT) or Inactive Duty Training (IDT) and Army National Guard (ARNG) personnel traveling directly en route to or from or participating in AT, ADT, Full Time National Guard Duty (FTNGD), Temporary Tour of Active Duty (TTAD), IADT or IDT, please have the following information available concerning the member:

• Full name
• Social security number
• Rank
• Unit
• Circumstances surrounding the death
• Next of Kin (NOK) information

Contact the Department of the Army Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Operations Center anytime by calling 1-800-626-3317. The caller will be immediately referred to a local Casualty Assistance Center.

The local Casualty Assistance Center will contact the person who reported the death without delay to provide immediate assistance to the family.

Retiree

When reporting the death of a retiree to the Department of the Army, which includes retired Reserve and National Guard personnel in receipt of retired pay, please have the following information available regarding the retiree:

• Full name
• Social security number and/or service number
• Date and Place of Birth
• Retired Rank
• Retirement date
• Disability Rating
• Unit
• Circumstances surrounding the death
• Next of Kin (NOK) information
• Copy of the Statement of Service (DD Form 214)
• Copy of the death certificate

Contact the Department of the Army Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Operations Center anytime by calling 1-800-626-3317. The caller will be immediately referred to a local Casualty Assistance Center.

The local Casualty Assistance Center will report the death to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service for stoppage of retirement pay and the initiation of the survivor benefits process. Family members may receive assistance on related issues as well.

Veteran

The death of a veteran should be reported to the Department of the Army if:

The veteran died within 120 days of separation from active duty, or

The NOK would like to request a military honors burial or flag. To do so, please have the following information available regarding the veteran:

• Full name
• Social security number and/or service number
• Date and Place of Birth
• Separation Rank
• Separation Date
• Disability Rating
• Unit
• Circumstances surrounding the death
• Next of Kin (NOK) information
• Copy of the Statement of Service (DD Form 214)
• Copy of the death certificate

Contact the Department of the Army Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Operations Center anytime by calling 1-800-626-3317. The caller will be immediately referred to a local Casualty Assistance Center.

Some Army cemeteries have maps and kiosks located near their entrances to aid you in finding the grave you are looking for. Other cemeteries have personnel offices close to the cemeteries that can assist you in your search. Some cemeteries do not have either of these options; however, depending on your search and request, most Cemetery Responsible Officials can assist you in finding a specific grave for the cemetery they are responsible for. You are also able to find a grave utilizing the Army Cemeteries Explorer application which will be available through this website. If you wish to find a specific grave location on Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) you can use the ANC Explorer application located at:  http://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Explore/Find-a-Grave

Each Army cemetery has its own distinct monuments and memorials. You can find information on what monuments and memorials are at each cemetery by visiting their page on this website. Utilizing the Army Cemeteries Explorer application, available through this website, will also show specific monument and memorial locations in each cemetery as well as offer each user the ability to find specific grave locations.