Bereavement Coaching

Lead With the Person

A Marine grieving does not need a checklist first.

• Acknowledge the loss.
• Listen.
• Offer specific support, not platitudes.
• Coordinate immediate needs (leave, transportation, communication).
• Refer to chaplain.

The documentation can wait 24 to 48 hours. The conversation cannot.

Bereavement and Emergency Leave

Per MCO 1050.3JMCO 1050.3J, bereavement and emergency leave types apply. MCO 1050.3J

• Coordinate immediate leave for travel and family support.
• Submit per unit leave procedures.
• Track the leave to start and return.
• Coordinate billet coverage during the absence.

Some bases support immediate emergency leave with documentation finishing post-departure. Coordinate with S-1.

When a Dependent Has Died

Submit NAVMC 10922NAVMC 10922 within 10 working days.

• Certified death certificate from the issuing authority.
• NAVMC 10922NAVMC 10922 documenting the dependent loss.
• Verification of dependent removal from DEERS.
• BAH adjustment if the rate changes.

The death certificate is certified. Photocopies fail.

SGLI Beneficiary Considerations

If the deceased was an SGLI beneficiary.

• Brief the Marine on the implications.
• Coach the Marine to review the beneficiary list.
• Coach the Marine to update SGLV-8286 if changing.
• Respect the Marine's timing on the decision.

Pressing the Marine to update SGLI on the day of death is not appropriate. Press in the weeks after as the Marine settles.

RED-S Update

If the deceased was a designated RED-S contact.

• Brief the Marine.
• Coach the Marine to update on Marine Online.
• Verify the update landed.

Casualty Assistance Coordination

If a dependent has died, casualty assistance services apply.

• Brief the Marine on Casualty Assistance Calls Officer (CACO) services.
• Coordinate with S-1 on the CACO assignment.
• Support the Marine through the casualty assistance process.

Per MCO 3040.4MCO 3040.4. MCO 3040.4

When the Death Is of a Marine Family Member Not on Records

A parent, sibling, close friend, or other family member outside the dependent records still produces grief.

• Coordinate emergency leave per the policy.
• Refer to chaplain or MFLC.
• Adjust counseling cadence.
• Watch for performance impact.

The documentation footprint is smaller. The human footprint is the same.

When the Death Was the Marine's Spouse

This carries the heaviest documentation load.

• All marriage-driven changes reverse.
• Ex-spouse death and separation are different from divorce. The spouse was on records as deceased.
• SGLI beneficiary almost always requires review.
• Children's status may change.
• Family Care Plan if children become the Marine's sole responsibility.

Coordinate with CACO. Coordinate with chaplain. The Marine carries enormous load.

Watch for the Long Tail

Grief does not close at the leave return.

• Adjust counseling cadence for 90 to 180 days.
• Watch for performance impact, withdrawal, substance use.
• Refer to behavioral health if indicators rise.
• Coordinate with Force Preservation if risk indicators escalate.

A Marine returning from bereavement leave assumed back to normal is a Marine the section is failing.

Common Bereavement Failures

• Documentation pressed before grief is acknowledged.
• Emergency leave delayed by paperwork.
• SGLI and RED-S left untouched for years.
• Counseling cadence reverts immediately.
• Long-tail grief impact missed.

Where to Go Next

• Divorce and custody coaching for the parallel personal disruption.
• Family Care Plan oversight if the Marine becomes a sole parent.
• Wellness category for the grief and risk track.