Care and Disposition of Remains - Army Publishing Directorate ...

2–4. Army National Guard soldiers
The Army National Guard (ARNG) soldiers are those officers who currently hold a federally recognized commission or
warrant issued by a State or territory and those soldiers who enlisted in a federally recognized State Guard or militia.
Federal mortuary affairs benefits for ARNG soldiers are provided when the ARNG soldier is in Federal service as
defined in the glossary. Individual State governments may elect to provide mortuary affairs benefits when ARNG are
participating in State sponsored training or other criteria established by State law or regulations. Requests for mortuary
affairs benefits provided by the individual States will be referred to the State Adjutant General.
a. To be authorized Federal mortuary affairs benefits the decedent must be—
(1) On active duty in Federal service at the time of death.
(2) Participating in or traveling to or from active duty for training in Federal service at the time of death.
(3) Participating in or traveling to or from an approved inactive duty training in Federal service at the time of death.
This period includes overnight stays immediately before the commencement of inactive duty training or remaining
overnight, between successive periods of inactive duty training, at or in the vicinity when the training site is outside of
a reasonable commuting distance from the soldier’s residence.
(4) Continuously hospitalized in a United States hospital from date of discharge from enlistment until death. See
paragraph 2–8 for ARNG soldiers who die in a retired status.
(5) Hospitalized or undergoing treatment for an injury, illness, or disease incurred or aggravated while on active
duty or performing inactive duty training.
b. Soldiers who are absent without leave at the time of death are eligible for mortuary benefits (see AR 630–10).
c. Soldiers who had been dropped from the rolls prior to the date of death are not eligible for mortuary affairs
benefits (see AR 630–10).
2–5. United States Military Academy at West Point cadet
A United States Military Academy (USMA) cadet is a student properly enrolled at the USMA. Mortuary affairs
benefits for USMA cadets are located in table 2–1.
a. To be authorized mortuary benefits the decedent must be a currently enrolled as a student at USMA at the time of
death or continuously hospitalized, as defined in the glossary, from the date of enrollment until date of death.
b. Cadets who are absent without leave at the time of death are eligible for mortuary benefits.
c. Cadets who had been dropped from the rolls prior to the date of death are not eligible for mortuary affairs
benefits.
2–6. Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) cadets
The ROTC cadets are those students enrolled in an ROTC course of instruction in a Senior ROTC program (college
level) or Junior ROTC program (secondary school). Mortuary affairs benefits for ROTC cadets are located in table 2–1.
a. To be authorized mortuary benefits the decedent must be—
(1) Participating in or traveling to or from authorized training authorized by U.S. Army Cadet Command at the time
of death.
(2) Continuously hospitalized, as defined in the glossary, from the date of injury or illness from an authorized
training event until date of death.
b. ROTC cadets are not authorized mortuary benefits while participating in or traveling to or from training not
authorized by the U.S. Army Cadet Command.
c. ROTC cadets are not authorized mortuary affairs benefits while participating in or traveling to or from classes or
other training conducted on campus in an academic (classroom) setting unless the training is the cause of death.
2–7. Accepted applicants for enlistment
Accepted applicants for enlistment are those persons who die while participating in an enlistment examination or
traveling to or from such examination and those applicants who have completed all enlistment examinations and die
while participating in or traveling to a place to take the final oath of enlistment. Upon taking the final oath of
enlistment the person’s status changes from applicant to RA, USAR, or ARNG soldier as appropriate. Mortuary affairs
benefits are located in table 2–1.
2–8. Retired military personnel
Retired military personnel are those RA, USAR, and ARNG soldiers who were retired from their last period of active
duty, to include those soldiers on the Temporary Disabled Retired List (TDRL) and the Permanently Disabled Retired
List (PDRL) and those USAR soldiers who have retired from their last period of reserve duty under the provisions of
section 274, title 10, United States Code. Mortuary affairs benefits are located in table 2–1. To be authorized mortuary
affairs benefits the retiree must—
a. Be placed in a retired status while on active duty for a period of 30 days or more and continuously hospitalized,
as a properly admitted inpatient (as defined in the glossary) of a U.S. hospital (defined in the glossary) from the date of
retirement until the date of death.
AR 638–2 22 December 2000
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