Rep. Staneski: Cuts to Military Honor Guard at Funerals Unacceptable

From the Connecticut General Assembly: State Rep. Pam Staneski (Milford & Orange) denounced Governor Malloy’s cut in funding for the state Military Department’s honor guard, which provides funeral honors for veterans of the armed forces.

“We owe our veterans the dignity they have rightfully earned through their bravery and sacrifice for our country. In tight budget times the state should NOT be taking away the funeral honors of our military veterans. Shame on the Democrats in Hartford for not getting their work done by the end of the legislative session (June 7th) or the end of the fiscal year June 30,” said Rep. Staneski, who served on the Veterans Affairs committee in 2015 and 2016 and currently serves as a member of the Appropriations committee.

Veterans of any branch of the armed forces are entitled under federal law to the rendering of military funeral honors including two representatives of the armed forces with at least one being from the veteran’s parent branch for graveside services. This includes the playing of Taps and the folding of the American flag with presentation to the veteran’s next of kin.

The service is free of charge, and available to those military members who are on active duty, selected reserve, former members with discharges other than dishonorable, and former military members discharged selected reserve due to disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty.

The State of Connecticut’s Military Department augments these minimum mandatory requirements many times with rifle teams that fire a salute volley.

Rep. Pam Staneski noted that the House Republican budget plan does NOT cut the honor guard at military funerals.

Image via the Connecticut General Assembly