The photo at the top of the page shows what is called a “Committal Shelter” or a “Committal Pavilion”. For a more modern, utilitarian structure, “Committal Terrace” is also sometimes used to describe a paved, roofed area specifically set aside for the service to take place away from the mud or grass of the grave site. Why these are used …
The Casket Shipping Container
Airlines receive caskets all the time, travelers just don’t usually know it unless the remains are of a member of the military.
Mistakes that Pallbearers Deal With
Funeral directors and and cemetery caretakers have a big responsibility to ensure funeral honors can happen without a hitch. That being said, there’s usually something that the pallbearers must deal with. In this article, we will deal with travel to the gravesite and gravesite setup.
The Flag Draping the Casket
The only way to ensure a flag doesn’t move when draped on a casket is to put a casket band on it or underneath it and then tuck the flag into it.
Do Honor Guards Have the Same Rules?
Honor guard units do have the same rules. They are made up of different ceremonial elements.
The DrillMaster Response
While a massive majority of readers understand exactly what I do, there a tiny few who feel that I need to be told how to do what I do. However, those few are very few and are disrespectful, arrogant, selfish, prideful, vulgar, and many times childish.
The Draped and Dressed Casket
This article is about when to drape, dress, or band the flag on the casket and when to transfer a casket using each of the three techniques. Let’s begin with a bit of history. For the US military, caskets have been carried while draped, dressed, and banded for decades depending on the requirements. Different services have used different standards at …
First Responder Funeral Honors Require a Written Standard Before Tragedy Happens
A first responder funeral is not the time to invent policy. When a law enforcement officer, firefighter, EMS provider, dispatcher, or agency chief dies, the department is already under emotional, operational, and public pressure.
Weapons Inside a Chapel?
I received an email recently with a dilemma: Hey John, I hope you’re doing well. I had a question for you. Our team was asked to post colors in a synagogue yesterday. When we arrived, one of the synagogue members stated that we could not be armed inside the sanctuary. Our policy does not allow us to be unarmed (sidearm) …









