Funeral Honors Duty (FHD)

What FHD Is

Per MCRAMM Chapter 3 Section 2.4 and 10 USC 1250310 USC 12503, Funeral Honors Duty is the performance of military funeral honors at funerals of veterans. Reserve Marines perform FHD as authorized inactive duty. Each FHD performance qualifies for pay and retirement points.

This is a sacred duty. Marines render funeral honors to veterans because the nation owes them. Admin processes it correctly so the performing Marines get paid and credited.

Authorization Basis

10 USC 1250310 USC 12503 specifically authorizes FHD as a category of inactive duty. The statute exists because military funeral honors are a separate function from training, requiring its own authority and accounting.

DOD Instruction 1300.15DOD Instruction 1300.15 provides DOD-wide funeral support standards. Marine-specific guidance flows through MCRAMM.

Conditions for FHD

Per MCRAMM and the controlling statute.

• Minimum duration of 2 hours (shorter than IDT minimum of 4 hours)
• Performed at the funeral of an eligible veteran
• Authorized in advance by the unit
• Member performs honors team duties (rifle volleys, flag fold and presentation, taps if performed by team)

Pay and Points

FHD has its own pay structure.

• One day of pay at FHD rate per DOD FMR Volume 7ADOD FMR Volume 7A
• Earns one retirement point per FHD performance
• Counts separately from the 48-period IDT regular drill total
• Travel reimbursement applies per orders

The FHD pay rate equals one period of drill pay (1/30th of monthly basic pay) or a specified flat rate, whichever applies under current DOD FMR.

Performance Steps

Step 1 - Receive Honors Request

The unit receives a request for funeral honors via.

• Local Veterans Affairs office
• Funeral home request
• Family request through the unit
• DOD funeral honors call center

Document the request with veteran name, eligibility, funeral date, time, and location.

Step 2 - Verify Veteran Eligibility

Per DODI 1300.15DODI 1300.15, eligible veterans include.

• Members on active duty at time of death
• Retired military
• Honorably discharged veterans
• National Guard and Reserve members with qualifying service

The funeral home or VA typically verifies eligibility before reaching the unit.

Step 3 - Detail Honors Team

Assemble the team based on honors required.

• 2-person team (minimum): Flag folding and presentation, taps (recorded or live)
• 6-person team: Pallbearers, flag fold, taps
• 9-person team with rifles: Full honors with rifle volleys
• 21-person team: Full military funeral with band (rare)

Step 4 - Conduct Honors

The team performs at the funeral.

• Flag draping or fold and presentation
• Rifle volleys (if 9-person team)
• Taps
• Salute

Step 5 - Process Pay Through Drill Manager

After the funeral, process FHD pay.

• Open Drill Manager
• Enter each team member who performed
• Apply FHD pay code per MCTFSCODESMAN
• Document the funeral date and veteran name
• Submit batch for unit diary processing

Step 6 - Verify and File

Confirm processing and file documentation.

• Pull EDFR within 5 business days
• Verify each member's FHD entry posted
• Retain funeral records (request, performance log, drill batch confirmation)
• Update annual FHD performance count for unit

FHD vs IDT vs Active Duty

FHD has unique characteristics.

Common Errors

These hit on FHD processing.

1. FHD logged as regular drill. Member performed funeral honors but admin entered as IDT regular drill. Wrong pay rate, wrong accounting. Fix by correcting to FHD code.
2. Missing FHD entry. Team performed funeral but admin never processed pay. Fix by submitting retroactive FHD batch with funeral date as effective date.
3. Less than 2-hour minimum claimed. Short funeral honors at remote location. Document actual time and submit if 2 hours met. If less than 2 hours, the period does not qualify for FHD pay.
4. Multiple FHD periods in one day. Member performed two funerals in one day. Process as two separate FHD entries.
5. Funeral home as veteran eligibility verifier. Funeral home claims eligibility but documentation is missing. Verify through VA before processing pay.

Tracking and Reporting

Units track FHD performance for command reporting and member point credit.

• Annual count of funerals supported per unit
• Per-member FHD performance log
• Outreach metrics for the local funeral support program
• Equipment use (rifles, ammunition) for unit reporting

Coordination Touchpoints

FHD intersects with several organizations.

• VA Cemetery Administration: For national cemetery funerals
• Local funeral homes: Primary requesters of honors
• DOD funeral honors program: Doctrinal guidance
• MARFORRES G-3: Operational reporting
• Unit S-4: Equipment for honors (rifles, ammunition, flags)

Related Roles

FHD touches roles at the unit differently than regular drill.

• Marines volunteer or are assigned to honors teams and perform with appropriate ceremonial bearing.
• Leaders train Marines on funeral honors procedures and lead the team during performance.
• Commanders authorize unit FHD support and report performance metrics.