NEW CEREMONIAL BUGLE TO IMPROVE VETERANS' FUNERAL HONORS

In a meeting with veterans' service organizations in Washington,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense John M. Molino:
http://www.defenselink.mil/prhome/molinobio.html
unveiled an innovative way to improve military funeral honors:
http://www.militaryfuneralhonors.osd.mil/.
Honor guard members, though not musicians, can now play "Taps":
http://www.militaryfuneralhonors.osd.mil/intro.html
on a recently developed ceremonial bugle, thanks to dramatic
advancements in digital audio technology.

The Department worked with private industry to invent a small
device that can be inserted deep into the bell of a bugle that
plays a very high-quality rendition of Taps virtually
indistinguishable from a live bugler.

The ceremonial bugle is intended to be a dignified alternative
to pre-recorded Taps played on a stereo, but will not be used as
a substitue for a military musician when one is available.

"We will ask families if they would like to take advantage of
this new technology to honor their loved ones," said Molino.
"In addition to the very high quality sound, it provides a
dignified 'visual' of a bugler playing taps, something families
tell us they want."

To use the device, a member of an honor guard needs merely to
push a button and hold the bugle to his or her lips. It offers
several other advantages over a stereo, including increased
reliability.

The Department will begin a six-month test of the ceremonial
bugle in Missouri beginning Nov. 7. Fifty prototype bugles will
be distributed to military units and other authorized providers
of funeral honors, such as veterans' service organizations.
During the test, families and honor guard members will be
surveyed. Once that data is compiled and the test is completed,
a decision will be made whether to expand the program or not.

The Department of Defense provides military funeral honors free
of charge to thousands of veterans' families each year. These
honors demonstrate the nation's deep gratitude to those who, in
time of war and peace, have defended their country. The
ceremonial paying of respect is a final tribute to their
service.

Sempers,

Roger