Members of the Arizona National Guard along with U.S. military reservists will be eligible for burial at three veteran cemeteries beginning Jan. 1, 2024.
The cemeteries, operated by the state Department of Veterans’ Services, include the Arizona Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery at Camp Navajo west of Flagstaff along with others in Marana and Sierra Vista.
It’s a result of the Burial Equity for Guards and Reserves Act signed by President Joe Biden last year.
Officials say the policy change removes barriers for all service members and their families to receive benefits and services they’ve earned.
They also say family members can be assured that their loved ones’ final resting places will be maintained as a national shrine.
The law covers gravesite and internment but doesn’t include the free burial flag or grave marker, which officials say will be below standard industry costs in private cemeteries.