United States Corps of Chaplains
National Headquarters
Training Office
"Nurture the Living, Care for the Dying
and Honor the Dead"
The function of a Chaplain is to "represent God" to the people they serve, remaining always respectful of the individual's belief system, yet maintaining their own religious traditions. When conducting ministry or services of worship that include persons of other than their own religious body, Chaplains hold in trust the tenets, or beliefs, of their respective faith group, and draw upon those beliefs, principles, and practices which they have in common.
The Military Honors detail should be positioned near where the hearse will stop. After the funeral procession has arrived, the funeral director will open the rear of the hearse and the pallbearers should move into position so they can move easily to the back of the hearse when needed.
When the family is ready to proceed, the funeral director will signal the pallbearers to withdraw the casket from the hearse and carry it to the grave. The bugler, firing party and color guard are already in their gravesite positions.
All detail participants (except for the pallbearers) will come to "Attention" and "Present Arms" as the casket is carried to the grave. All detail participants will "Order arms" after the casket has been placed on the lowering device. Pallbearers may be instructed to hold the flag over the casket, or move off as a group and stand in formation for the service.
During the committal or religious service, all the detail participants may go to "Parade Rest."
Chaplain's Service is as follows:
I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.
I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth; and though this body be destroyed, yet shall I see God; whom I shall see for myself and mine eyes shall behold, and not as a stranger.
For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For if we live, we live unto the Lord. and if we die, we die unto the Lord. Whether we live, therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.
Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord; even so saith the Spirit, for they rest from their labors.
O God, whose mercies cannot be numbered: Accept our prayers on behalf of thy servant (name), and grant him an entrance into the land of light and joy, in the fellowship of thy saints; through Jesus Crhist thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, on God, now and for ever. Amen.
Psalm 121 Levavi oculos
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills;
from whence cometh my help?
My help cometh even from the LORD,
who hath made heaven and earth.
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved,
and he that keepeth thee will not sleep.
Behold, he that keepeth Israel
shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD himself is thy keeper;
the LORD is thy defence upon thy right hand;
So that the sun shall not burn by day,
neither the moon by night.
The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil;
yea, it is even he that shall keep thy soul.
The LORD shall preserve thy going out, and thy coming in,
from this time forth for evermore.
The Commendation
Give rest, O Christ, to thy servant(s) with thy saints, where sorrow and pain are no more, neither sighing, but life everlasting.
Thou only art immortal, the creator and maker of mankind; and we are mortal, formed of the earth, and unto earth shall we return. For so thou didst ordain when thou createdst me, saying, "Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." All we go down to the dust; yet even at the grave we make our song: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
The Chaplain, facing the body, says
Into thy hands, O merciful Savior, we commend thy servant (name) Acknowledge, we humbly beseech thee, a sheep of thine own fold, a lamb of thine own flock, a sinner of thine own redeeming. Receive him into the arms of thy mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace. Amen.
In sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, we commend to Almighty God our brother (name); and we commit his body to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. The Lord bless him and keep him, the Lord make his face to shine upon him and be gracious unto him, the Lord lift up his countenance upon him and give him peace. Amen.
The Chaplain says:
Let us pray as Christ taught us.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Chaplain concludes with these words
The God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant: Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight; through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever. Amen.
When the committal or religious service is completed, the service representative and assistant will assume the clergy representative's position at the head of the grave and all detail participants will come to the position of "Attention." Then, the funeral director will ask the mourners to stand for the rendering of honors.
Once the mourners have risen, the detail leader and all elements will execute "Present Arms," volleys will be fired, and "Taps" sounded. Upon completion of "Taps," all will "Order Arms" and the funeral director will request the mourners to be seated.
Next the flag is folded. The two person military detail, the pallbearers, or a combination of the two can do this. Once the flag is folded, it MUST end up in the hands of the detail assistant, who will pass it to the detail leader.
The detail leader will present the flag to the next of kin.
**Note -- The following presentation scripts are intended for Service Members and NOT USCOC members. USCOC Members are civilians and should not use the following scripts.
Each Service uses slightly different wording for the presentation:
Army: This flag is presented on behalf of a grateful nation and the United States Army as a token of appreciation for your loved one's honorable and faithful service.
Navy: On behalf of the President of the United States and the Chief of Naval Operations, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one's service to this Country and a grateful Navy.
Marines Corps: On behalf of the President of the United States, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, and a grateful nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one's service to Country and Corps.
Air Force: On behalf of the President of the United States, the Department of the Air Force, and a grateful nation, we offer this flag for the faithful and dedicated service of (Service member's rank and name).
Coast Guard: On behalf of the President of the United States, the Commandant of the Coast Guard, and a grateful nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one's service to Country and the Coast Guard.
USCOC Member should say: We present this token of service and honor on behalf of the United States Corps of Chaplains and fellow veterans of military service.
If the next of kin has expressed a religious preference or belief, you may add: "God bless you and this family, and God bless the United States of America."
Following the flag presentation, the detail leader will offer condolences to the remainder of the immediate family and other mourners seated in the front row. It is appropriate and encouraged for a representative of the Authorized Provider to offer condolences after the detail leader.
Once condolences have been offered, the detail leader and assistant will return to the cortege arrival point and await the departure of the cortege. The bugler, firing party and color guard are released when the detail leader departs the gravesite. They may choose to remain in place until the family departs, or can return quietly to their own vehicles.
It is the sacred obligation of all Americans to honor our deceased veterans by performing these time-honored duties in the best tradition of the decedent's Service. The US Corps of Chaplains is helping to fulfill that obligation by supplementing the effort of the Military Services.
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