A standard part of any military funeral is the ceremonial rifle volley fired in honor of the deceased by three or more members of the honor guard. That said, Department of Defense military funeral details no longer provide rifle volleys. To arrange for a rifle volley, you will need to reach out to your local Veterans organization or funeral home to locate and honor guard who may be able to accommodate your request. Again, please keep in mind that honor guards are not funded and are not obligated to provide rifle volleys. Services provided are subject to the availability of honor guard members. Note: A minimum of three spent shell casings are collected and presented to the next of kin; the shell casings are traditionally inserted in the folded flag as a reminder of the rifle volley fired in the deceased Veteran's honor. The three shell casings serve as a reminder of the salute along with the three words duty, honor and country.
Taps is a poignant bugle call composed of twenty-four notes that serve as a final farewell to the deceased Veteran. During the sounding of Taps, all civilians present should stand, uncover, and place their right hand over their heart. Military personnel in uniform are to render a hand salute while active-duty personnel not in uniform and Veterans may render a hand salute or place their right hand over their heart.
An American flag drapes the casket of deceased veterans to honor the memory of their service to their country. The ceremonial folding and presentation of that flag is a moving tribute of lasting importance to the veteran’s family. The flag is placed so the blue union field is at the head and over the left shoulder of the deceased. Usually after Taps has been played, the flag is carefully taken from the casket and silently folded by the military guard or honor guard in thirteen folds; each of the thirteen folds has a symbolic meaning:
Once folded, the flag is triangular, representative of the three-cornered hats worn by colonial soldiers during the Revolutionary War. The flag is then presented to the next of kin.
After the folding of the flag, the senior honor guard member will present the American flag to the family member of the Veteran to honor his or her service. The presenter should stand facing the flag recipient holding the folded flag waist high with the straight edge facing the recipient. The presenter will then lean toward the flag recipient and solemnly present the flag to the recipient. While passing the flag to the recipient, the presenter will communicate "On behalf of the President of the United States, [the United States branch of service, and a grateful nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one’s honorable and faithful service.”
