MDN FUNERAL & MEMORIAL NAVIGATOR
Someone died—or you’re planning ahead. What needs to happen?
Military death, Veteran death, retiree death, cemetery choice, funeral honors, memorial items, reimbursement, and survivor benefits are connected—but they are not one process. Start with the situation and MDN will separate the responsible lanes.
✓ No account✓ No names or identifiers✓ No document upload✓ Official sources control
If the person died while serving: start with the military department’s casualty-assistance process. The assigned casualty assistance officer and service mortuary channels should lead the immediate military response, including arrangements and survivor coordination. Do not make the family hunt through VA forms first. Open official casualty-assistance guidance ↗
START WITH THE REAL SITUATION
What are you trying to handle?
Choose the closest pathway. You can come back and run another one because burial, honors, costs, and survivor actions often overlap.
Loading funeral and memorial pathways…
Funeral & Memorial data is unavailable. Use the official VA, military casualty, DFAS, TRICARE, or cemetery source that applies to the situation instead of relying on an incomplete MDN checklist.
YOUR ACTION MAP
Do not assume one notification updates every system. The military departments, VA, DFAS, TRICARE/DMDC, Social Security, Arlington, state/tribal cemeteries, and private providers can use separate records and rules. Official notices and current source guidance control.
The funeral is only one part of the survivor picture.After immediate death, burial, honors, and payment-stop actions are underway, Family & Survivor is the identity-centered handoff for a spouse, child/dependent, parent/Gold Star family member, caregiver, or other survivor. Life Events still handles reporting changes, and the Benefits Registry lets you inspect individual programs.
Open Family & Survivor → Open Life Events → Browse survivor benefits →