The mission of the Fort Cavazos Casualty Assistance Center is to execute full-spectrum Army Casualty and Mortuary Affairs support of DOD-directed missions for Soldiers and Families in present or past conflicts in our 175-county area of responsibility. We will enhance public trust and confidence by honoring our Nation's commitment to the Soldiers and families of deceased, injured, ill, and unaccounted for through compassionate and responsive support. The CAC will honor active and reserve component Soldiers and their families by providing them with comprehensive, unselfish, first-class service and support.
Military Funeral Honors
The goal of the Fort Cavazos Casualty Assistance Center is to provide Military Funeral Honors for all Veterans, Retirees, and Active-Duty personnel in our area of responsibility when requested by the Family. Effective January 1, 2000, the National Defense Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-65) authorizes Military Funeral Honors to Active-Duty Soldiers, Retirees and Veterans.
Under the law, at a Family's request, every eligible veteran will receive military funeral honors, to include the presence of a military funeral honors detail, which will oversee folding and presenting the U.S. flag and playing "Taps," either by a high-quality recording or by a bugler. The law defines a military funeral honors detail as consisting of two or more uniformed military persons of the veteran's branch of military service.
Military Funeral Honors (MFH) can be rendered at any cemetery - private or government-operated. Military Funeral Honors are generally requested by funeral directors, but Family Members can make those arrangements as well. To make MFH arrangements, please download and follow the instructions on the request form, ensuring that all data requested on the form is provided.
Fort Cavazos Military Funeral Honors Request Form
Authority: AR 600-25; Title 5, USC 3331, 552, 552a; 10 USC 10204; EO 10450, 10865, and 12333
Principal Purpose: The information requested is for the purpose of providing funeral honors for honor for deceased Army personnel.
AR 600-25, Para 7-20 states, in part, that burial honors will be observed as the minimum support requirements when requested by the next of kin and when sufficient notification is received to properly plan, prepare, and transport the funeral detail to the interment site.
Fort Cavazos Military Funeral Honors Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)
Military Funeral Honors requests are processed during operational hours, Monday – Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., closed on weekends and federal holidays. All Military Funeral Honors requests must be must be emailed to usarmy.cavazos.usag.mbx.casualty-fthfuneral@army.mil or submitted in person to this office 48 operational hours prior to the date of the scheduled service, to include providing supporting documents. Supporting documents are defined as discharge information such as the DD Form 214, Certificate of Honorable Discharge and/or any other verification from the VA, as long as it contains the rank, full name, character of service and years of service of the Fallen. Exceptions are on a case-by-case basis.
Special emphasis must be placed on providing a complete/correct address (physical address, not mailing address) of the cemetery or interment site or place where Military Honors will be rendered; a representative from funeral home and/or Family Member MUST telephonically contact this office during normal business hours at (254) 287-7200 or (254) 287-6968 to confirm receipt of the MFH request.
Reporting the Death of an Active Duty Soldier - Retiree - Veteran
Contact the Department of the Army Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Operations Division anytime by calling 1-800-626-3317. The caller will be immediately referred/transferred to a local Casualty Assistance Center.
The death of a veteran should be reported to the Department of the Army Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Operations Division if, the veteran died within 120 days of separation from active duty. A copy of the Statement of Service (DD Form 214) will show/validate the date of separation of the Veteran.
Please have the following information available:
•Full name
•Social security number
•Rank - (Active Duty/Guard/Reserve) ONLY
•Unit - (Active Duty/Guard/Reserve) ONLY
•Circumstances surrounding the death
•Date, time and location of incident/death when known
•Next of Kin information (Spouse and/or Parents and/or Adult Children); when next of kin is a minor, provide Legal Guardian information
•Date and Place of Birth - (Retiree) ONLY
•Retired Rank - (Retiree) ONLY
•Retirement date - (Retiree) ONLY
•Copy of the Statement of Service (DD Form 214) (Retiree and Veteran) ONLY