New York Army and Air National Guard honor guards conducted military funerals for 12, 019 families across New York as of Dec. 23, and expect to perform another 252 military funerals for a total of 12,271 –before 2017 begins.
The New York Army National Guard’s Military Force Honor Guard performed 10, 085 of these funerals. New York Air National Guard Wing Honor Guards conducted 1,934 funeral services.
The Army National Guard teams expect to perform 193 more funerals before Jan. 1, 2016. New York Air National Guard honor guards anticipate conducting another 59 funerals by Dec.31.
In 2015, the New York National Guard honor guards performed 10,692 military funerals. The Army National Guard conducted 8,725 services, while the Air National Guard performed funeral services 1,967 times.
In 2014 New York National Guard Soldiers and Airmen conducted military funerals for 11,365 families.
Since 2000, federal law has mandated that any military veteran who did not receive a dishonorable discharge from the armed forces is eligible for military honors at his or her funeral.
The ceremony must include the folding and presenting of the flag of the United States to the veteran’s survivors and the playing of Taps.
Because of the demand for funeral services, the Army authorizes the use of an electronic bugle. The Soldier raises a bugle to his lips and pushes a button and an electronic device plays Taps.
The size of the detail varies from a minimum of two service members to nine or more personnel for deceased service members who retired from the military after a full career or were awarded medals for valor.
At least one of the honor guard members must belong to the service the deceased service member had served in.
In most cases, the New York Army and Air National Guard provide just a two-member detail for funerals. The Army National Guard provided the nine-Soldier services 44 times in 2016.
The New York Army National Guard has 31 Soldiers serving full-time on funeral honors details, with another 117 Soldiers who volunteer to perform funeral honors on a part-time basis when needed.
New York Army National Guard Soldiers go through a week-long training process to become fully certified in providing military funerals.
The New York Army National Guard conducts about 98 percent of military funeral details for Army veterans within the state and operates from nine locations across New York.
The 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum conducts military funerals within 50 miles of the post. The U.S. Army Reserve’s 99th Army Reserve Command and the United States Military Academy at West Point also perform military funerals when requested by the Army casualty assistance center at Joint Base Maguire- Dix-Lakehurst.
New York Air National Guard Honor Guards operate at each of the New York Air National Guard’s five wings and the Eastern Air Defense Sector headquarters in Rome.
National Guard Airmen serve full-time as honor guard members on three-year Active duty tours. Air Wings also have volunteers who can be called upon to provide the service when needed.
The Air National Guard honor guards provide funeral services primarily to Air Force veterans but can provide services for veterans of other services.
The regional breakdown for New York Army National Guard funerals in 2016 is:
• Long Island- 4,025
• New York City- 1,862
• Buffalo-1,111
• Rochester –769
• Albany- 723
• Syracuse-694
• Kingston- 371
• Horseheads-530
The regional breakdown for Air National Guard honor guard funerals in 2016 is:
• 105th Airlift Wing, Stewart Air National Guard Base, Newburgh, (Hudson Valley) – 205
• 106th Rescue Wing, Gabreski Air National Guard Base, Westhamptom Beach (Long Island) – 725
• 107th Airlift Wing, Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, Niagara (Buffalo/Niagara) – 382
• 109th Airlift Wing Stratton Air National Guard Base, Sciotia (Albany/Schenectady) – 291
• 174th Attack Wing Hancock Field Air National Guard Base, Syracuse (Central New York) – 283
• Eastern Air Defense Sector, Griffiss Industrial Park, Rome (Utica/Rome) – 47