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First soldier buried under new rules

Spc. Joseph M. Hernandez was buried Jan. 23 with the distinction of being the first junior enlisted soldier eligible for a full-honors funeral at Arlington National Cemetery.

But due to a high number of scheduled funerals at Arlington that day, and the family’s desire not to postpone the service, not every element of full honors was presented.

Full honors status adds an escort platoon with colors team, a band element and a horse-drawn caisson to burial services at Arlington. A standard military service includes a chaplain, a bugler, pallbearers and a firing party.

Until Jan. 1, only officers, Medal of Honor recipients and enlisted members who reached a rank of E-9 could receive full honors options. But Army Secretary Pete Geren changed the policy in December, opening the full-honors burial service to all eligible enlisted soldiers.

Hernandez, 24, of Hammond, Ind., and two other soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb while on patrol in Jaldak, Afghanistan, on Jan. 9. The soldiers were with 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, of Hohenfels, Germany.

A large group of family, friends and military representatives, including Geren, attended Hernandez’s service. Members of the “Old Guard,’’ or 3rd Infantry Regiment, were there to honor Hernandez as a former member.

The full honors components to the service included the escort platoon, with color guard, and a drummer from the Army band.

Though an Arlington news release had previewed a full honors service, neither of the two horse-drawn caissons were available Jan. 23 to transport Hernandez’s casket.

Eight other full honors funerals had previously been scheduled for the day, explained Kaitlin Horst, spokeswoman for Arlington National Cemetery.

Instead of a caisson, a hearse brought Hernandez’s casket to the gravesite. This decision was made by the family, which chose to have the hearse rather than delay the ceremony until a caisson would be available. This could have moved the service back to late February, Horst said.

Waiting a month, or even a few months, for a full honors service is not considered uncommon at Arlington.

A full band was also unavailable, but not because of scheduling. Cold weather could have impeded instrument use, Horst said. The drummer, however, did play a short cadence at the beginning of the service. A full honors band can be as large as 18 members and include a variety of instruments.

Geren’s policy change presumably will mean more full honors funeral services, said Col. Dan Baggio, director of Public Affairs for Joint Force Headquarters National Capital Region and the U.S. Army Military District of Washington, which is responsible for providing honors at Arlington.

Thus far, however, services are being executed in a timely fashion, he said, and additional resources have not yet been needed. He added that they could be allocated, should a necessity arise.

While scheduling delays are possible, the goal is always to operate with minimal inconvenience for the family, Baggio said.

“The intent is to do it as timely as possible and not to disrupt any funerals that are previously scheduled,” he said.

More than 300,000 people are buried at Arlington and about 6,000 funerals are held there each year. As of Jan. 23, 534 service members from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan had been interred, inurned or memorialized in the cemetery.

Hernandez’s wife, Alison Hernandez, expressed her gratitude for the funeral service.

“I know he wanted to be buried at Arlington, but he really didn’t expect to get all of what he’s getting,” she told Army Times.

She also recognized the significance of Hernandez being the first eligible for the full honors policy.

“That will be something I’ll be able to tell our kids about,” she said. The couple has two boys, 2-year-old Jacob and 9-month-old Noah.