Department of Defense
INSTRUCTION
NUMBER 1344.08
March 11, 2009
Incorporating Change 1, April 17, 2013
USD(P&R)
SUBJECT: Interment Allowance for Deceased Military Personnel
References: (a) DoD Directive 1344.8, “Interment Allowance for Deceased Active Duty
Personnel,” September 25, 1978 (hereby canceled)
(b) DoD Directive 5124.02, “Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and
Readiness (USD(P&R)),” June 23, 2008
(c) Chapter 75 of title 10, United States Code
(d) DoD Instruction 1300.18, “Department of Defense (DoD) Personnel Casualty
Matters, Policies, and Procedures,” January 8, 2008, as amended
(e) DoD Instruction 5025.01, “DoD Directives Program,” September 26, 2012
1. PURPOSE. This Instruction reissues Reference (a) as a DoD Instruction in accordance with
the authority in Reference (b) to establish policy and assign responsibilities to ensure that
survivors of military personnel are reimbursed for interment expenses on a uniform basis.
2. APPLICABILITY. This Instruction applies to OSD, the Military Departments, the Office of
the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Joint Staff, the Combatant Commands, the
Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Defense, the Defense Agencies, the DoD
Field Activities, and all other organizational entities within the Department of Defense (hereafter
referred to collectively as the “DoD Components”).
3. DEFINITIONS. For the purpose of this Instruction, Interment expenses are those expenses
typically incurred incident to the death of a member covered by section 1481 of Reference (c)
and authorized to be paid or reimbursed under the provisions of section 1482 of Reference (c).
Such expenses include not only those specifically listed in the law, but also any other usual and
customary expense clearly associated with and appropriate to the recovery, care, and disposition
of the member’s remains, including cremation and associated inurnment expenses and, when a
Military Department determines that remains are non-recoverable, those expenses associated
with a memorial service.
