By Peter S. Gaytan

 

I served on the Honor Guard and draped flags on transfer cases strapped in the cargo hold in the belly of the C-5′s as they were brought to Dover Air Force base to be processed at the Port Mortuary.

 

I’ve folded flags at hundreds of military funerals and presented them to tearful spouses and children as their loved ones are laid to rest.

 

The flag provides recognition of the sacrifices made by servicemembers and veterans upon their burial. Although it may have been many years since a veteran actually wore the uniform, the dignity of his or her service did not diminish. Military funeral honors, to include presentation of the U.S. Flag, are final reminders of a soldier’s service and final recognition from a grateful nation.

 

Recently The Civilian Service Recognition Act of 2011 was introduced in the House of Representatives. The bill would allow payment of “expenses incident to the presentation of a (U.S.) flag” for civilians who are killed while working for the federal government. While the intent of the proposed legislation is honorable, we must be careful before enacting such a bill. Civil service, though admirable is not the same as military service where an individual pledges to defend our country with his or her life. Civil servants cannot be compelled to serve in a combat zone or engage directly with enemies of our country.

 

The bill, as currently written, leaves too much latitude to agency heads to determine who is eligible for this honor and who qualifies as “next of kin.”

 

Civil servants who die or are killed in service to our nation deserve our gratitude and should be honored for their actions. But as well-intentioned as The Civilian Service Recognition Act of 2011 is, I would suggest that it needs further attention and refinement. Our military and veterans have earned their final funeral honors and our country’s gratitude.

 

For more information on The Civilian Service Recognition Act of 2011, go to:

http://www.gop.gov/bill/112/1/hr2061

 

Peter S. Gaytan is the author of For Service To Your Country – Updated Edition: The Essential Guide to Getting the Veterans’ Benefits You’ve Earned(Citadel, 2011), available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other booksellers. He has served as an advocate in securing and protecting the earned benefits of America’s veterans for more than a decade. Gaytan is the Executive Director of the American Legion, the largest veterans service organization in America.