Bagpiping for Military Funeral Services

Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) and Fort Myer Old Chapel  
(More detail on services in Arlington National Cemetery)
For funeral services, the friends and family usually gather at the Administrative Building inside the main entrance to the cemetery.  An assembly room is assigned for friends and family for each service.  The receptionist will direct you to the appropriate room.  The cemetery representative and the chaplain will come to this room to meet with the next of kin about 30 minutes before the start of the service.

The cemetery representative will announce when friends and family should go to their cars and assemble in front of the Administrative Building.  From there, the representative will lead the procession to the gravesite, columbarium, or as appropriate to the caisson transfer point, and then to the interment site.

For services originating from Fort Myers Old Post Chapel, friends and family gather at the chapel on the base.  The family will be directed to the family room to meet with the cemetery representative and chaplain about 15 to 30 minutes prior to the service.  After the chapel service, the procession will move to the interment site. The cemetery representative will lead the procession in his car. If a caisson is used, the family will follow the caisson by foot or car to the gravesite or columbarium for the interment service.

Occasionally, the funeral home may have the  funeral procession meet at the main gate of Arlington National Cemetery.  The family and friends would then be lead by the cemetery representative to the caisson transfer point, gravesite, or columbarium.

Your piper will meet with you and the cemetery representative at either the Administrative Building, the Chapel, or the Main Gate before the service. 

No piping is allowed  outside the Old Post Chapel.

The regulations limit piping for services in Arlington National Cemetery to the very end of the graveside or columbarium service.  For inground burial,the piper is allowed to play after all military honors are presented, the flag is presented to the next of kin, the Arlington Lady (if present) has made her presentation, the chaplain has greeted the family, and the military are leaving the field. For services in the Columbarium, the piper is allowed to play after the placement fo the urn in the niche.

For more information about services in Arlington National Cemetery visit their official WEB site at  http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/index.htm

Quantico and Culpeper National Military Cemeteries 
(More detail on services in Quantico National Cemetery)

The funeral procession will meet in their cars at the assembly point inside the main gate to the cemetery.  From there, the Administrative Representative will lead the procession to the designated shelter for the service.

If you would like, your piper will be near the shelter to play two to four tunes as the cars  arrive and the friends and family move to the shelter for the service.   After the service and all military honors are rendered and the flag presented to the next of kin, you piper can play one or more tunes.  After the announcement of the conclusion of the service and the dismissal, your piper can move away from the shelter playing additional tunes as the guests depart.

Military Services in Civilian Cemeteries

Your piper will work with you, the funeral director, minister or priest, and the designated honor guard to develop a service which follows the protocol used in the National Military Cemeteries.