All enlisted KIAs to get full Arlington honors

[unhappycamper]

All enlisted KIAs to get full Arlington honors
By William H. McMichael - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Dec 15, 2008 17:51:28 EST

Full military honors will be granted to all enlisted soldiers killed in action and slated for burial or inurnment at Arlington National Cemetery as of Jan. 1, the Army secretary has decided.

In a Dec. 12 memo obtained by Military Times and confirmed Monday by the Army, Army Secretary Pete Geren said that the policy will apply also to members of other services if requested and authorized, and that Army assets that currently support military funeral honors at Arlington will be made available for those funerals.

The Army secretary is the executive agent for all matters concerning Arlington, considered the nation’s most hallowed military cemetery.

Normally accorded only to officers, Medal of Honor recipients and enlisted members who reach the highest possible enlisted rank of E-9, full honors include an escort platoon, a colors team, a band and a horse-drawn caisson. These are rendered in addition to the military pallbearers, firing party, bugler and chaplain that are a part of standard honors, according to cemetery officials.

The Army said last month that a review of the policy was under way, but a spokesman said then that the Army was only considering changes in the rendering of honors at Army burials.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/12/military_arlington_burialhonors_121508w/%2e

[panader0]

1. Do soldiers killed in accidents get full honors too?

It seems like they should because they wouldn'y be there if there wasn't a "war".