Scheduling Services at Arlington National Cemetery

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil

Arlington National Cemetery, our nation’s most hallowed ground, is the final resting place for more than 400,000 active duty service members, veterans and their families. This historic cemetery bears witness to our American heritage and the military service and sacrifice of men and women in uniform throughout our nation’s history. Families come from all over the country to bury their loved ones at Arlington National Cemetery. They come to Arlington because of the rich history of military honors that makes the service so special. We believe that caring for our nation's heroes and their families during their time of need is a sacred duty entrusted to us. Our nation's veterans are laid to rest with dignity and honor by a compassionate and dedicated work force. 

Understanding Arlington's scheduling process 

The process to schedule a burial at Arlington National Cemetery can be complex and the cemetery handles each family's request individually with the utmost care and professionalism. Each request is unique and the length of time it takes for scheduling is typically several weeks to several months and depends on many factors, including the family's ability to provide all documents to verify eligibility, any special requests, requests for full military honors (which can take longer to schedule than standard military honors because of additional military resources such as escorts and the caisson), requests for one of the chapels located on Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, etc. The cemetery receives approximately 75 calls a day from funeral directors and families requesting a service at Arlington. Before a service can be scheduled, all documentation needs to be submitted and reviewed by Arlington staff to establish and confirm eligibility. 

Required Documentation

1. DD214 or equivalent service documentation showing honorable discharge and active duty service
2. Death certificate 
3. Cremation certificate if applicable 
4. Succession documents for the Person Authorized to Direct Disposition (PADD) to act on behalf of the Primary Next of Kin (PNOK). 
5. Other additional documents will be required for signature before the service can take place.

Arlington National Cemetery schedules services based on available cemetery and military resources. On average, Arlington National Cemetery conducts between 27 and 30 funeral services each week day, eight of which are services with full military honors. There are up to six committal services an hour, five times a day. Saturday services are also available for placements and services for cremated remains that do not require military honors or military chaplain support. On average, the cemetery conducts between 6 and 8 services on Saturdays.

Requests for chapel services can extend the wait time by two months for a service at Arlington National Cemetery. Only four out of the 27-30 services conducted each week day can have a service at a chapel. To reduce the wait time in the scheduling process, we recommend requesting the use of the chapel only if a funeral service has not been conducted. 

When the family or funeral home makes the first call to the customer service center at 1-877-907-8585, they are given a case number for tracking purposes and are asked to e-mail all required documents for review. The cemetery staff will need to establish and confirm the service member is eligible for burial at Arlington. Any documents requested by the cemetery staff can be e-mailed to arlingtoncemetery.isb@mail.mil and must include the case number provided by the customer service center. 

Tips for Scheduling Services at Arlington National Cemetery

• Provide the cemetery with multiple ways to contact the funeral home and Primary Next of Kin to help ensure the cemetery reaches someone when the scheduler first calls to schedule. An e-mail address is required for the PNOK. Only the PNOK or PADD is authorized to sign the required documents.  
• If the family is requesting a specific date for their service after their loved one has passed, we recommend contacting Arlington four months prior to the desired interment date. 
• Have all of the required documentation together before you call to schedule. 
• If the decedent is being interred with someone already at Arlington National Cemetery, please provide the section and grave number for in-ground gravesites and court, section, column and niche for above-ground interments, if known. 
• Consider a Saturday service for placements or services for cremated remains that do not require military honors or military chaplain support. 

For more info, please visit: http://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil