Six North Carolina Army National Guard and two Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers train on the basics of military funeral honors during a course hosted by the Virginia National Guard Funeral Honors Program July 16, 2026, at the State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Military Funeral Honors Level 1 training is a five-day course which prepares Soldiers to conduct professional military funeral honors in accordance with service tradition. The Virginia National Guard MFH Program hosts several training courses throughout the year for National Guard Soldiers from around the country. Since it was begun in January 2007, the Virginia program has performed more than 26,000 funeral services throughout the Commonwealth and averages 150 services each month. (U.S. National Guard photo by A.J. Coyne)