• Contact Us
• Site Map
• FAQs
• Phone Book

• Home
• Careers
• Units
• Missions
• Doing Business
• About Us

Health, Safety and Work-Life (HSWL) Regional Practice Boston

Helping you balance your Work and your Life

Military Funeral Honors

Boston Area Honor Guard Instruction - Base Boston Instruction 5060.1

Decedent Affairs, Burials at Sea, and Military Funeral Honors - Base Boston Instruction 1770.1

Requests for Honor Guard

We request at least 48 hours of notice, please give more if you can.  Fax the request form to 617-223-3490 with as much information completed as possible.  Contact FTC Fisher for confirmation that your request was received.  If you fax a request after business hours (weekends or after 1600 weekdays), please call 617-990-6249 to inform us that you have sent a request.

We need a copy of the DD-214 or discharge papers along with the request or we will not be able to process your request.

Due to extremely limited resources, we are not always able to provide a bugler to play Taps, however, we make every effort to do so.  Please understand if we are not able to provide one in your case.  We will have a recording of taps at every funeral where we were not able to locate a bugler.

Resources for funeral homes

Where can I find a flag?

Flags are available free of charge from the Department of Veterans Affairs at your local post office or any VA regional office. You must fill out VA form 21-2008 and bring it to either the post office of VA office, where you will be given a flag. Please see the Department of Veterans Affairs website for more information. 

Where can I provide feedback on the Honor Guard?

We would love to hear from you!  Positive feedback or where we can improve is always welcome. Please email ETC Brian Fisher with your comments.

Burials At Sea

All burials at sea conducted within the First District are limited to the scattering of cremains (cremated remains) only.  The Coast Guard can bury any citizen of the United States who has not been convicted of a felony.  Proper documentation must be provided by the next of kin which includes:

• Photocopy of DD-214, Retirement Certificate, or Honorable Discharge (if prior military).

• Certificate stating the requestor is the NOK or has authority to dispose of the remains.

• Letter giving permission for the Coast Guard to perform the burial at sea.  The letter must state where and when they would like the honors to take place.

Family members at ceremony:

A maximum of 6 members may attend. However, the unit conducting the Burial at Sea will determine how many people may attend.  Depending on the unit and operational schedule, fewer or no attendees may be allowed. If you are interested in having more than 6 people attend your Burial at Sea, a contracted commercial boat would be the avenue to pursue (however, they will charge you for the services). Any vessel can perform a Burial at Sea as long as the adhere to the EPA regulations, reference web-link below.

A wreath may be placed into the water as long as the EPA regulations are adhered to, reference web-link below.

EPA website for burials at sea
 

Upon completion of the ceremony, the Sector coordinator will send a letter to the family stating where and when the ceremony took place.  A copy of this letter should be sent to the regional coordinator as closure for the file.

Request Form - Used to request a burial at sea. Please complete, fax to 617-223-3490, and contact ETC Brian Fisher.

Contact: ETC Brian Fisher

Brian.S.Fisher@uscg.mil