R 291659Z DEC 06
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC(UC)
TO AL MARADMIN(UC)
MARADMIN 630/06
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MR//
SUBJ/MILITARY FUNERAL HONORS (MFH) TASKING AND REPORTING//
REF/A/MSGID:DOC/CMC/YMD:19960415//
NARR/THE REF IS THE MARCORCASPROCMAN, MCO P3040.4E// POC/GERALD
CASTLE/GS-13/MRPC/-/TEL:703-784-9512//
POC/M.S.MOSEMAN/GYSGT/MRPC/-/TEL:703-432-9524//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  ONCE A MARINE, ALWAYS A MARINE IS MORE THAN A
PHRASE, IT SPEAKS TO OUR COMMITMENT TO PAYING FINAL TRIBUTE TO A
MARINE'S SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY BY PROVIDING MILITARY FUNERAL HONORS
(MFH).  THE PURPOSE OF THIS MARADMIN IS TO PROVIDE CLARIFICATION ON HQMC
POLICY AND PROCEDURES FOR MFH AND ENSURE THE MARINE CORPS PROPERLY PAYS
RESPECT TO A DECEASED MARINE'S FAMILY.
2.  UNDER TITLE 10 U.S.C., SECTION 1491 AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH DOD
MEMORANDUM DATED JANUARY 11, 2001, THE MILITARY SERVICES ARE REQUIRED TO
ASSIGN THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE COORDINATION AND DELIVERY OF MILITARY
FUNERAL HONORS TO A SINGLE OFFICE AT THE HEADQUARTERS LEVEL.  AS A
RESULT, HQMC CONTINUES TO OPERATE A MFH TASKING CELL WITHIN THE CASUALTY
SECTION (MRPC) THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TASKING AND REPORTING OF ALL
MARINE FUNERAL HONORS TO DOD.
THE MFH SECTION MAY BE REACHED VIA PHONE.  A TOLL FREE NUMBER
(866-826-3628) HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED FOR FUNERAL DIRECTORS, FAMILIES, AND
MARINE CORPS UNITS TO REQUEST MILITARY FUNERAL HONORS.  THE HQMC MFH
SECTION CAN BE REACHED AT THE TOLL FREE NUMBER DURING NORMAL BUSINESS
HOURS, 0730 TO 1630, EASTERN TIME, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.
AFTER NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS, OR ON WEEKENDS AND HOLIDAYS, ALL CALLS TO
THE TOLL FREE NUMBER ARE ROUTED TO THE MFH VOICE MAIL.  MESSAGES
RECEIVED AFTER 1630, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, WILL BE RETURNED THE NEXT
BUSINESS DAY.  DURING WEEKENDS AND HOLIDAYS, MESSAGES ARE MONITORED IN
ORDER TO PROCESS REQUESTS FOR MFH THAT TAKE PLACE ON SUNDAY OR MONDAY.
MESSAGES FOR FUNERALS SCHEDULED FOR TUESDAY OR LATER WILL BE RETURNED ON
MONDAY.  HQMC MFH SECTION DOES NOT ACCEPT FAX REQUESTS.
3.  UPON RECEIPT OF THE FUNERAL REQUEST, HQMC MFH SECTION ENTERS
PERTINENT INFO INTO THE MFH DATABASE AND TASKS THE FUNERAL SUPPORT
ACCORDINGLY.  FUNERAL SUPPORT IS TASKED TO THE CLOSEST UNIT TO THE
LOCATION OF THE INTERNMENT, UNLESS OTHER AGREEMENTS ARE IN PLACE.
THESE AGREEMENTS NEED TO BE SIGNED BY ALL AFFECTED UNITS AND FORWARDED
TO HQMC (MRPC/MFH).  UNITS TASKED BY HQMC MFH SECTION WILL BE PROVIDED
WITH A FAX AND AN EMAIL WITH THE PERTINENT INFORMATION.
ONCE A UNIT RECEIVES THE TASKER, UNITS MUST SUPPLY AN EMAIL OR PHONE
CONFIRMATION TO HQMC MFH SECTION TO VERIFY RECEIPT OF THE TASKER.
ADDITIONALLY, THE UNIT MUST CONTACT THE FUNERAL HOME TO VERIFY THE
INFORMATION, OBTAIN DIRECTIONS AS NEEDED, AND COMMUNICATE WITH THE
FUNERAL HOME AS TO WHAT SUPPORT WILL BE PROVIDED.
4.  IN THE EVENT A MARINE CORPS UNIT IS CONTACTED DIRECTLY BY A FUNERAL
DIRECTOR OR NEXT OF KIN, UNITS WILL OBTAIN A PHONE NUMBER TO THE POC
REQUESTING THE HONORS AND CONTACT HQMC MFH SECTION, OR SUPPLY THE
REQUESTOR WITH THE MFH TOLL FREE NUMBER (866) 826-3628.
IF THE REQUEST IS MADE WITH LESS THAN 24 HOURS UNTIL THE FUNERAL AND
PROOF OF HONORABLE SERVICE IS VERIFIED, THE UNIT RECEIVING THE REQUEST
MAY PROVIDE HONORS WITHOUT AN OFFICIAL TASKER FROM HQMC MFH SECTION.  IN
THE EVENT THE MFH CANNOT BE SUPPORTED, THE MARINE CORPS UNIT RECEIVING
THE REQUEST WILL COORDINATE WITH ANOTHER UNIT THAT CAN SUPPORT THE
REQUEST.  MARINE CORPS UNITS WILL PROVIDE FUNERAL HONORS IAW CHAPTER 7
OF THE REFERENCE, WITH OR WITHOUT COORDINATION FROM HQMC MFH SECTION.
5.  ALL SPECIAL REQUESTS FROM FAMILY MEMBERS (I.E., CHAPLAINS, BUGLERS,
FIRING DETAILS, BODY BEARERS, ETC) WILL BE FORWARDED TO THE UNIT FOR
CONSIDERATION.  HQMC WILL ONLY GUARANTEE THE PRESENCE OF A MINIMUM OF
TWO SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES TO RENDER HONORS FOR AN ELIGIBLE
SERVICEMEMBER, AS REQUIRED BY LAW.
6.  ALL MARINE CORPS UNITS THAT PROVIDE MFH ARE REQUIRED TO CONTACT HQMC
MFH SECTION TO ENSURE THAT CURRENT PHONE NUMBERS AND EMAIL POCS ARE ON
FILE.  ANY CONTACT NUMBERS OR POCS THAT CHANGE MUST BE REPORTED TO HQMC
MFH SECTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.  THIS WILL HELP TO ENSURE THAT FUNERAL
HONORS TASKINGS ARE RECEIVED AND FUNERAL HONORS ARE RENDERED.
7.  ALL MARINE CORPS UNITS MUST REPORT EVERY MFH CONDUCTED TO HQMC MFH
SECTION USING THE MFH AFTER ACTION REPORT (AAR) FORM FOUND ON THE HQMC,
M&RA WEBSITE AT WWW.MANPOWER.USMC.MIL.  IN ORDER TO OBTAIN THE FORM,
CLICK ON THE CASUALTY ASSISTANCE LINK, THEN MILITARY FUNERAL HONORS, AND
THEN SELECT (FORM) FOR THE MILITARY FUNERAL HONORS REPORT.  THIS FORM
WILL BE COMPLETED BY THE UNIT PERFORMING THE HONORS AND SUBMITTED TO
HQMC MFH SECTION WITHIN 72 HOURS. UNITS CAN FAX THE OFFICIAL AAR TO
(703) 432-9248 OR EMAIL:
FUNERAL.HONORS@USMC.MIL.  ALL MARINE CORPS UNITS ARE REQUIRED TO VERIFY
THE NUMBER OF FUNERAL HONORS INDICATED IN THE DOD DATABASE FOR ACCURACY
THEREBY ENSURING EACH UNIT RECEIVES PROPER CREDIT FOR FUNERAL HONORS
RENDERED.  FUNERAL HONORS MAY BE VERIFIED AT THE DOD
WEBSITE:
HTTPS:(BACKSLASH)(BACKSLASH)WWW.DMDC.OSD.MIL/FHDB/OWA/FHDB_MAIN.LOGIN
(THIS WEBSITE IS CASE SENSITIVE, USE LOWERCASE LETTERS.) THE USER ID IS
MR5106 AND THE PASSWORD IS USMC1778 (ALL CAPS).  THE PASSWORD FOR THIS
ACCOUNT MUST BE RESET EVERY 90 DAYS.  MARINE CORPS UNITS ARE NOT
AUTHORIZED TO CHANGE THE PASSWORD. ALL PASSWORD CHANGES ARE HANDLED BY
HQMC.  IN THE EVENT THAT YOU ARE PROMPTED TO CHANGE THE PASSWORD, CALL
HQMC FUNERAL HONORS.  UPON LOGGING IN, THERE ARE TWO OPTIONS AVAILABLE:
A.  OPTION 1:  GO INTO REPORTS AND SELECT FHDB SYSTEM REPORTS.
SELECT TRANSACTION SUMMARY (THIS WILL INDICATE THE NUMBER OF FUNERAL
HONORS PERFORMED BY UNIT); ENTER THE START AND END DATES DESIRED, SELECT
FUNERALS, AND THEN SELECT GO.  TO SEE A BREAKDOWN OF FUNERAL HONORS
COMPLETED BY MONTH, CLICK ON THE RUC AND MCC (UIC) OF YOUR UNIT.
B.  OPTION 2:  GO INTO DATA COLLECTION AND SELECT FUNERAL DATA SEARCH.
HERE YOU MAY VIEW FUNERAL HONORS COMPLETED MONTHLY BY UNIT OR BY SSN.
TO VIEW BY UNIT, INDICATE THE MONTH TO BE CHECKED AND YOUR UNIT'S RUC
AND MCC (UIC).
8.  FOLLOWING THE PROCEDURES ABOVE AND PER THE REF, ALL BRANCHES OF THE
MILITARY ARE REQUIRED TO REPORT TO CONGRESS ON MILITARY FUNERAL HONORS
RENDERED DURING THE PAST CALENDAR YEAR.  AS ALWAYS, THE MARINE CORPS HAS
DONE ITS BEST TO SUPPORT EVERY REQUEST FOR MFH AND NOW WE MUST TAKE THE
TIME TO ENSURE THAT THESE EFFORTS ARE PROPERLY PRESENTED TO CONGRESS.
TO ENSURE AN ACCURATE REPORT, ALL MFH RENDERED DURING CY06 MUST BE
REPORTED TO HQMC MFH SECTION NO LATER THAN 5 JAN 07.
9.  WE MUST REMEMBER THAT THE FAMILY OF OUR FALLEN MARINES HAS ONLY ONE
CHANCE TO RECEIVE HONORS FOR THEIR LOVED ONE.  TAKING CARE OF OUR OWN IS
NOT JUST A PHRASE, IT IS OUR DUTY. THOSE OF US WHO ARE CURRENTLY HONORED
TO WEAR THE UNIFORM MUST CONTINUE THE LONG LINE OF OUR PREDECESSORS IN
UPHOLDING THE INTEGRITY OF THESE WORDS.  OUR SUPPORT OF FUNERAL HONORS
FOR OUR MARINES WILL SPEAK LOUDER THAN ANY WORDS.//