Military Personnel Services

Casualty Assistance Program

The loss of a Marine is always difficult, especially for the family. Families expect to be informed of the cause and circumstances surrounding the loss of their loved one as soon as it is known. The Casualty Assistance Program is committed to ensuring the families of our fallen Marines are always treated with the utmost compassion, dignity, and honor. We actively seek to improve survivor assistance and have a demonstrated record of quick, effective action. To contact the Casualty Assistance Program 24/7, call 800-847-1597.

For more information on how Casualty Affairs can assist the families of retired Marines, click here. 

Casualty Assistance Calls Officer Tool Kit

Survivor's Benefits

This guide is intended to inform you about survivor benefits that you may be eligible to receive. Click here to visit their site and download the guide.

Casualty

The Headquarters Marine Corps (HQMC) Casualty Section conducts telephonic notification to the next of kin (NOK) of wounded, injured, and ill Marines using information contained in the Personnel Casualty Report (PCR). Notifications are typically completed within four hours of receipt of the PCR. When warranted, family members may travel to the bedside via Invitational Travel Orders. The HQMC Casualty Section processes and facilitates this travel. Casualty Assistance Calls Officers (CACOs) are assigned to the next of kin of the deceased, Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown, and missing Marines.

Next of kin of the deceased are notified in-person by a uniformed CACO. A chaplain accompanies the CACO when possible. Following notification, CACOs assist the NOK with burial arrangements, applications for benefits and entitlements, contact with benevolent and philanthropic organizations, obtaining reports of investigation, and other pertinent issues.

Investigation Tracking

Headquarters Marine Corps Investigation Tracking tracks all command investigations and preliminary inquiries regarding the death of Marines. The section ensures timely and accurate investigation information is provided to all next of kin through their assigned Casualty Assistance Calls Officer until the full redacted investigation is delivered and all investigation-related questions are answered.

Additional agencies (Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Criminal Investigation Division, and Naval Safety Center) may conduct investigations alongside of Marine Corps commands. Information on the status of those investigations will be provided to NOK via updated Personal Casualty Report (PCR).

The Investigation Tracking section provides education, training, and assistance to Marine Corps commands regarding investigation-related requirements.

Why are command investigations required?

Line of Duty Determinations (LODD): JAGMAN Part E; Section 0212; paragraph B:
“A line of duty determination is required whenever an active duty service member of the Naval service dies, in order to make decisions concerning eligibility and annuity calculations under the Uniformed Services Survivor Benefit Program; see Part F, section 0229 of this Manual. In many cases, the death of a reservist will also require a line of duty determination. See section 0224 for additional information on reservist personnel.”
 
Command Investigations are conducted for the General Court Martial Convening Authority to determine if the Marine was in or out of the line of duty at the time of his or her death. 

For more information, contact Investigation Tracking at 800-847-1597 or usmc-investigations@usmc.mil.

Long Term Assistance Program (LTAP)

LTAP is a permanent resource for the next of kin of fallen Marines, ensuring they receive sustained, quality assistance from the Marine Corps. LTAP provides outreach and assistance to Marine families who need support with any issues involving death benefits and entitlements.

LTAP is part of the Dover Port Mortuary Mass Casualty response team that deploys to Dover Port Mortuary to provide assistance to Casualty Assistance Calls Officers (CACOs) and surviving family members arriving there for Dignified Transfer.

LTAP:

• Connects families to a variety of benevolent and philanthropic organizations, including grief and bereavement experts and educational counseling.

• Provides indefinite assistance and support to all next of kin of deceased Marines.

• Provides a comprehensive printout of benefits and entitlements from Magellan Federal to assist in making informed decisions regarding finances.

• Assists next of kin in obtaining access to investigative reports.

 To reach LTAP at Headquarters Marine Corps, call 866-210-3421, Ext. 2, or email LTAP@usmc.mil. For more information on Gold Star and Surviving Family Member Representatives, click here.
 
Gold Star and Surviving Family Member Representatives address any issues or concerns of spouses and dependents regarding casualty assistance or receipt of benefits as authorized by law. If you are a survivor and not satisfied with the casualty assistance provided, contact the Marine Corps Gold Star and Surviving Family Member Representative at 866-210-3421, ext. 2. your Gold Star and Surviving Family Member Representative. The representative is there to help, regardless of how and where your loved one died.

Additional Information:

Benevolent/Philanthropic Organizations

Military Funeral Honors

Military Funeral Honors is 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 our nation. The Military Funeral Honors ceremony consists of, at a minimum, the folding and presentation of the American flag and the sounding of Taps by a detail of two uniformed members, in addition to a bugler, if available, of the Armed Forces. At least one of the detailed members shall be from the parent Service of the eligible beneficiary. Although the law dictates that two uniformed members will be the minimum, this will be the exception and not the rule for Marine Corps Funeral Honors details. For more information, visit https://www.hqmc.marines.mil/Agencies/Casualty-MFPC/Funeral-Honors.
 
Repatriation Program

The Repatriation Program is the liaison between the Marine Corps, the U.S. government, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL), the Life Sciences Equipment Laboratory (LSEL), and the next of kin (NOK) of all Marines unaccounted for from previous conflicts. They collect, evaluate, and disseminate all information and reports concerning grave site investigations/excavations, live sightings, and refugee interviews to NOK and other interested government agencies.  
The program maintains contact with organizations such as the National League of POW/MIA Families, the Korea/Cold War Families of the Missing and the Coalition of Families of Korean and Cold War POW/MIAs.

Additional Tools:

• Online CACO Report (OCR)
• Military OneSource Casualty Assistance Resources
• Defense Casualty Information Processing System 8.0

Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS)

DEERS is the primary system used by the Department of Defense (DoD) to verify and maintain the eligibility of individuals for military benefits, including health care and other entitlements. The Real Time Automated Personnel Identification System (RAPIDS) is a network of microcomputers linking the Uniformed Services Personnel Offices to the DEERS database to provide online update of dependent information to the DEERS database.
 

Additional Resources:

Military Postal Service Agency (army.mil)
Welcome | USPS
Secondary Dependency Tool Kit

Postal Affairs

The Postal Affairs Section establishes USMC postal policy and procedures, assists the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Military Postal Service Agency (MPSA) in special projects, serves as liaison between Marine Corps commands, MPSA, United States Postal Service (USPS) and other DoD agencies. Postal Affairs coordinates with DoD and USPS for postal theft and depredations and/or reimbursement of monies or equipment.

The MPSA is the command, organization, personnel, and facilities used to provide military postal activities the means to process the transmission of mail to/from the DoD, members of the Military Services, and other authorized agencies and individuals. Commanding Officers must ensure all eligible unit personnel receive proper mail delivery service. An accurate and timely directory service is an important mail handling responsibility. Military Postal Clerks serve at installations worldwide to provide a professional level of customer service and reliability. Additionally, the Official Mail Program provides effective policies/procedures in cost management, mail design, mail class, special services, and address standards. Official mail is used solely for the business of the U.S. Government.
Headquarters Marine Corps Postal Affairs answers inquiries, offers packaging assistance and cost saving tips, and provides information on overseas mailing restrictions. For any inquiries, please contact the HQMC Postal Affairs office at (703) 784-9537.
 

Additional Resources:

Military Postal Service Agency (army.mil)
Welcome | USPS
Postal Affairs Tool Kit

Voting Assistance Program

The Voting Assistance Program aims to increase voting awareness by ensuring that every Marine, their eligible family members, and other personnel serving with a Marine Corps unit who are eligible to vote under the laws of their state receive voting information and assistance.

More than 1,100 voting assistance officers are appointed at every level of command down to the battalion and squadron level to assist all service members, their families, U.S. citizens employed by the federal government, and those residing outside the United States who are authorized to vote in federal elections.

Installation Voting Assistance Offices located at Quantico, MCAS Cherry Point, Camp Lejeune, MCAS Beaufort, MCRD Parris Island, MCLB Albany, Blount Island Command, MCAS Yuma, MCRD San Diego, MCAS Miramar, Camp Pendleton, MCLB Barstow, 29 Palms, Bridgeport, Kaneohe Bay, MCAS Iwakuni, Camp Fuji, Camp Blaz, and MCB Camp Butler provide voting assistance to all service members, their families, and U.S. citizens employed by the federal government.

The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) provides additional voting assistance and absentee information through partnerships with the Military Services, Department of State, Department of Justice, and election officials from 50 states, U.S. territories and the District of Columbia. Access the FVAP website at https://www.fvap.gov.
For more information, contact the HQMC Voting Assistance Program at Vote@usmc.mil or 703-784-9511.
 

Additional Tools

• Voter Assistance Officer Tool Kit