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ROUTINE

R 221906Z MAY 20 MID110000729097U

FM CNO WASHINGTON DC

TO NAVADMIN

INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC

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NAVADMIN 151/20

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FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1//
INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1//

MSGID/NAVADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/MAY//

SUBJ/CASUALTY AND MORTUARY AFFAIRS PROCESSES IN RESPONSE TO COVID-
19 UPDATE (CORRECTED COPY)//

REF/A/MEMO/OSD/20APR2020//
REF/B/ALNAV/SECNAV/231933ZMAR20//
REF/C/NAVADMIN/OPNAV/212136ZAPR20 //
REF/D/MEMO/OSD/27APR2020//
REF/E/MEMO/OSD/05MAY2020//
REF/F/MEMO/SECNAV/22MAY2020//
REF/G/NAVADMIN/OPNAV/072132ZAPR20//

NARR/REF A IS SECRETARY OF DEFENSE MEMORANDUM FOR TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS FOR DOD 
COMPONENTS IN RESPONSE TO CORONAVIRUS DISEASE.
REF B IS ALNAV 029/20 STATE AND LOCAL SHELTER-IN-PLACE ORDERS ON DEPARTMENT 
OF THE NAVY OPERATIONS.  
REF C IS NAVADMIN 116/20 NAVY MITIGATION MEASURES IN RESPONSE TO CORONAVIRUS 
OUTBREAK UPDATE 4.
REF D IS SECRETARY OF DEFENSE MEMORANDUM DELEGATING FUNERAL HONORS WAIVER 
AUTHORITY TO THE SERVICE SECRETARIES.  
REF E IS UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR PERSONNEL AND READINESS MEMORANDUM 
FOR CASUALTY AND MORTUARY AFFAIRS TRAVEL GUIDANCE.  
REF F IS SECRETARY OF THE NAVY MEMORANDUM FOR WAIVER OF REQUIREMENT TO 
PROVIDE MILITARY FUNERAL HONORS DURING THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY CONCERNING THE 
NOVEL CORONAVIRUS DISEASE OUTBREAK.  
REF G IS NAVADMIN 102/20 CASUALTY AND MORTUARY AFFAIRS PROCESSES IN RESPONSE 
TO COVID-19.//

RMKS/1.  This NAVADMIN supersedes reference (g) and provides an update to 
interim casualty and mortuary affairs program changes necessary to mitigate 
risk to the force due to the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) national 
emergency in accordance with references (a) through (f).

2.  Bedside Travel.  Deputy Chief of Naval Personnel (DCNP) approval is 
required to make bedside travel arrangements for all combat zone evacuations 
and Very Seriously Injured and Seriously Injured (VSI/SI) cases deemed 
warranted by a Department of Defense (DoD) physician and where the servicing 
hospital can support the visit.  Eligible travelers who self-fund travel will 
be reimbursed within the authorized limits of the Joint Travel Regulations.

3.  Casualty Assistance Calls Officer (CACO) Notifications and Casualty 
Assistance Support.  In-person CACO notification is authorized for Next of 
Kin (NOK), unless the applicable Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC) 
Region Commander (REGCOM) directs phone notification due to the health and 
safety risk in the affected location.  CNIC REGCOM approval is required for 
any in-person enduring CACO casualty assistance support of NOK beneficiaries.
Casualty benefit processing will be prioritized with the most critical 
benefits processed first (e.g., Death Gratuity (DG), 365 days of housing 
allowance (BAH 365), Service Member Group Life Insurance (SGLI)) for eligible 
beneficiaries.  In areas where in- person CACO notification or continuing 
contact has not been authorized by the applicable CNIC REGCOM, the use of 
alternative beneficiary contact methods (e.g., phone, e-mail, express mail) 
will be pursued to enable timely benefits processing.

4.  Dignified Transfer (DT).  Family travel to witness a DT at Dover Air Base 
remains temporarily suspended until DoD travel restrictions are lifted.  The 
exception approval authority for family travel is DCNP and exceptions will be 
considered on a case-by-case basis.  To preserve the DoD medical examiner 
system and mortuary operations, attendance at DTs by Service Members and 
other participants, including those persons who would serve to escort the 
remains, must comply with reference (a).  To minimize risk of exposure, unit 
member participation is highly discouraged.  Additionally, the Air Force 
Mortuary Affairs Operations (AFMAO) Commander or Deputy, or on-call 
general/flag officer will officiate the DT, and the carry team will be 
provided by AFMAO.

5.  Escorting Remains of Service Members and Civilian Employees.
When remains are being transported by military air or military- contract air, 
aircraft commanders will serve as the sole official escort.  Exceptions to 
allow others to act as an escort of remains to include transport by 
commercial airline may be approved by DCNP.  Exception requests must take 
into consideration all receiving and originating location restrictions as 
well as airline restrictions.  Applicable CNIC regional casualty offices in 
coordination with Navy Casualty Affairs (PERS-00C) will continue to assign a 
departure escort to travel with remains to the departure airport and a 
receiving escort to travel with remains from the arrival airport to the 
receiving funeral home or place of final disposition, unless the CNIC REGCOM 
assesses that the health and safety risk in the affected location(s) 
precludes the ability of an escort to support the mission.  CNIC will 
normally use an assigned CACO to perform escort duties in order to limit the 
number of people to whom the Primary NOK may be exposed.  CNIC REGCOM 
approval is required for assignment of escorts other than the CACO, or for 
any escort mission requiring ground travel outside of the local area of the 
escort.

6.  Funeral Honors.  In accordance with references (d) and (f), commanders at 
all levels are expected to respond expeditiously and sensitively to requests 
for military funeral support.  Consistent with local conditions and mission 
requirements, CNIC REGCOMs, installation commanding officers, and servicing 
commands will work with families and local funeral directors to provide basic 
military funeral honors as well as any additional elements of military 
funeral honors as able (bugler for Taps, pall bearers, etc.).
Military funeral honors for Service Members and veterans shall be rendered 
consistent with current local jurisdiction requirements (number of people 
allowed to gather, social distancing, face coverings, etc.), and consist of a 
minimum of a one-person detail (of the Service of the decedent) to perform 
funeral honors.  This includes at a minimum formally presenting a folded flag 
to the primary NOK at the funeral and playing a recording of Taps.  The 
Person Authorized to Direct Disposition (PADD) will be encouraged to consider 
delaying funeral honors until the current local conditions created by the 
COVID-19 outbreak have subsided.  If a family does not wish to delay a 
funeral and the applicable installation commander, with CNIC REGCOM 
endorsement, determines that rendering honors presents an unacceptable risk 
to a Service Member, the installation commander may defer military funeral 
honors.  All deferred military funeral honors shall be considered a missed 
funeral and are subject to the rescheduling and reporting requirements of 
reference (f).

7.  Funeral Travel.  Funded family travel to funerals remains temporarily 
suspended until DoD travel restrictions are lifted.  The exception authority 
for family travel is DCNP and exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case 
basis.  With the delay of funeral travel, expenses for the sheltering of 
remains will continue to be covered as a primary expense and will not count 
against reimbursable allowances.  Eligible travelers who self-fund travel 
will be reimbursed within the authorized limits of the Joint Travel 
Regulations.

8.  Present and past conflict/command memorial service travel.
Present and past conflict/command memorial service travel restrictions remain 
temporarily suspended until DoD travel restriction are lifted.  The exception 
approval authority for family travel is DCNP and exceptions will be 
considered on a case-by-case basis.

9.  Waiver requests for non-time critical actions should be endorsed by the 
first flag officer or Senior Executive Service (SES) in the chain of command 
and routed to PERS-00C who will coordinate the approval process with the 
proper decision-making authority.  The determination regarding CACO Primary 
NOK notification is time- critical and should be made by the appropriate CNIC 
REGCOM.  In all cases where exceptions are granted, Sailors will strictly 
follow all Center for Disease Control (CDC) restrictions and Navy guidance to 
include avoiding large gatherings, maintaining social distance, and wearing 
personnel protective equipment.

10.  Taking care of our wounded, our fallen and their families remains a 
sacred responsibility and we will restore the normal levels of support as 
soon as the conditions allow.

11.  This NAVADMIN will remain in effect until superseded or canceled, 
whichever occurs first.

12.  The points of contact for Navy Casualty Affairs are CDR Jason Eaton, 
PERS-00C, 901-874-6854/jason.c.eaton@navy.mil or Mr. Al Gorski, PERS-00C, 
901-874-4559/alan.gorski@navy.mil.  The points of contact for CNIC 
Casualty and Funeral Honors (N00K) are Ms. Nyeika Hollien, Funeral Honors
Program Manager, 202-433-6892/nyeika.hollien@navy.mil and Mr.
Michael Hill, Casualty Assistance Coordinator, 202-433-4927 / 
michael.hill1@navy.mil.

13. Released by Vice Admiral John B. Nowell, Jr, N1.//

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