Who gets a 21 gun salute?
“Anyone who is entitled to a military funeral (generally anyone who dies on active duty, honorably discharged veterans, and military retirees) are to the three rifle volleys, subject to availability of honor guard teams. As I said, this is not a 21-gun salute, nor any other type of “gun salute.” They are simply three rifle volleys fired. The firing team can consist of any number, but one usually sees a team of eight, with a noncommissioned officer in charge of the firing detail. Whether the team consists of three or eight, or ten, each member fires three times (three volleys).” http://usmilitary.about.com/od/jointservices/a/twentyonegun_2.htm I hope this helps answer your question. My husband is a veteran and he was unfamiliar with this also so I looked it up.
