New York Army National Guard provides 9,567 military funerals in 2014

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New York Army National Guard Spc Anthony Bryant and Spc. Shelbi Vanderbogart during military funeral services on Dec. 11, 2014 in Amsterdam, N.Y. ( Photo by Master Sgt. Corine Lombardo/Released)

LATHAM, NY (01/07/2015)(readMedia)-- New York Army National Guard Soldiers provided military funeral honors at the services for 9,567 veterans during 2014.

Honor Guard officials had expected to conduct closer to 9,600 military funerals during the year.

In 2013, New York Army National Guard Honor Guard members performed military funeral services 9,997 times. In 2012, New York Army National Guard Soldiers conducted 10,175 funerals.

The largest number of military funerals conducted in one year was in 2011, when 10,752 military services were provided. The program began in 1999.

The New York Air National Guard's six major commands provide funeral honors for Air Force veterans and conducted 1, 798 funeral services in 2014.

Total number of military funerals conducted by the New York Army and Air National Guard during 2014 was 11,365. In 2013 that combined number was 11,585.

New York Army National Guard teams provide military honors to all Army veterans in order to comply with a 2000 federal law, which mandates military honors at the funerals of any former Service member who was honorably discharged.

The lower number for Army Guard funeral services in New York appears to be due to the decline in the number of World War II and Korean War-era veterans still living, as well as a reduction in New York Army National Guard funeral missions that resulted from a temporary budget reduction in October 2013, said Staff Sgt. Erwin Dominguez, the non-commissioned officer in charge of the New York Army National Guard's Honor Guard program.