Glossary

Authorized providers - Individuals or groups recognized by a Secretary of a Military Department who are not members of the Armed Forces or employees of the United States and who augment the uniformed members of a military funeral honors detail.

Authorized representative - An individual chosen by the next-of-kin to represent them in matters dealing with the loss of the service member in terms of beneficiary eligibility.

Beneficiary - The person (or persons) who, according to law or the written designation of the service member, is entitled to receive certain benefits.

Body recovered - The remains of a deceased casualty recovered by the United States military authority.

Casualty - Any person who is lost to the organization by having been placed in a temporary or permanent casualty status.

Casualty category - Classification of a casualty for reporting purposes based upon the type and status.  Casualty categories include killed in action (KIA), died of wounds received in action (DWRIA), beleaguered, besieged, captured, detained, interned, missing in action (MIA), and wounded in action (WIA).

Casualty status - Classification of a casualty for reporting purposes through seven casualty statuses: deceased, duty status - whereabouts unknown (DUSTWUN) (a temporary status), missing, very seriously ill or injured (VSI), seriously ill or injured (SI), incapacitating illness or injury (III), and not seriously injured (NSI).

Date of casualty - For deceased service members, the date of casualty is the date of death. For service members declared DUSTWUN or missing, the date of casualty is the date declared DUSTWUN or missing.  For service members reported VSI, SI, III, or NSI, the date of casualty is the date the illness or injury occurred, if known, or the date the person is so classified as ill or injured.

Died of wounds received in action (DWRIA) - A casualty category applicable to a hostile casualty, not including casualties as a result of terrorist activity, where a service member dies of wounds or other injuries received in action after having reached a medical treatment facility.

Duty status - The status of the service member at the time of casualty; duty status is used as a basis for determining eligibility for survivor benefits and entitlements.  A service member's duty status is reported as Active Duty (AD), Active Duty for Training (ADT), or Inactive Duty Training (IDT).

Duty status - whereabouts unknown (DUSTWUN) - A temporary designation for casualty status when the reason for a service member's absence is uncertain and it is possible that the member may be a casualty.

Funeral director - A state-licensed individual responsible for arranging all details of the burial, including the request for military funeral honors.

Incapacitating illness or injury (III) - The casualty status of a service member (not classified as VSI or SI) whose illness or injury requires hospitalization and makes the service member physically or mentally unable to communicate with the next-of-kin.

Killed in action (KIA) - A casualty category applicable to a hostile casualty, not including casualties as a result of terrorist activity, who is killed outright or who dies as a result of wounds or other injuries before reaching a medical treatment facility.

Military funeral honors - The ceremonial paying of respect and the final demonstration of the country's gratitude to those who, in times of war and peace, have faithfully defended the nation.  Military funeral honors ceremonies include, at a minimum, the folding and presentation of the American flag and the sounding of Taps.

Missing - A casualty status applicable to a service member not at his or her duty location due to apparent involuntary reasons and whose location may or may not be known.  This casualty status does not apply to service members who are absent without official leave (AWOL), deserters, or those in a dropped-from-rolls status.  A service member declared missing is further categorized as beleaguered, besieged, captured, detained, interned, missing, or missing in action (MIA).

Next-of-kin (NOK) - The person most closely related to the casualty is considered primary NOK for disposition of remains, personal effects, and the release of records to secondary NOK and third parties.

Not seriously injured (NSI) - The casualty status of a service member whose injury may or may not require hospitalization, has not been classified as VSI, SI, or III, and who is able to communicate with the NOK.

Primary next-of-kin (PNOK) - The legal NOK for a service member. That person of any age most closely related to the individual according to the line of succession established by DoD.

Regional honors coordinator - A military office directed by each branch of Service that is responsible for arranging military funeral honors within a specified geographic region.

Secondary next-of-kin (SNOK) - Any NOK other than the primary NOK.

Seriously ill or injured (SI) - The casualty status of a service member whose illness or injury is classified by medical authority to be of such severity that there is cause for immediate concern, but there is no imminent danger to life.

Taps - The traditional musical composition played at military funerals and memorials.

Under dishonorable conditions - Used for the purpose of eligibility determination, service members who have been discharged from military Service with any of the following characterizations of Service or under any of the following circumstances are considered discharged under dishonorable conditions: a dishonorable discharge, a bad conduct discharge, dismissal from the Service awarded by courts-martial, discharge under other than honorable conditions, or an officer resignation for the good of the Service in lieu of courts-martial.

Very seriously ill or injured (VSI) - The casualty status of a service member whose illness or injury is classified by medical authority to be of such severity that his or her life is imminently endangered.

Wounded in action (WIA) - A casualty category applied to a hostile casualty, not including casualties as a result of terrorist activity, where the service member has incurred an injury due to an external agent or cause.