Horse-drawn Army caissons to roll again for funerals at Arlington National Cemetery

USA Today

09-04-2025

Horse-drawn Army caissons to roll again for funerals at Arlington National Cemetery
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The Army's caisson detatchment was worn down by too many funerals, underinvestment and poor care.
The Army euthanized two horses, Mickey and Tony, and in 2023 the rest were retired to Florida.
By June, the Army plans to have three squads trained for funeral ceremony duty. Each squad will have 11 horses.
WASHINGTON − The Army announced Tuesday that it will resume using horse-drawn caissons for a limited number of funerals at Arlington National Cemetery this summer, three years after it suspended the tradition following the deaths of two of its horses.
Beginning the week of June 2, soldiers, their horses and the caisson will carry caskets for two funerals a day and a maximum of 10 per week.
Caissons are wagons that had been used to carry artillery to the front and fallen soldiers from combat. At Fort Myer, adjacent to the cemetery across the Potomac River from Washington, the caisson detachment had been performing the solemn, stately ceremony since 1948.
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By 2022, behind the spit-polish sheen of soldiers, horses and carriages, however, the unit had been worn down by too many funerals, underinvestment and poor care. The Army euthanized two of the horses, Mickey and Tony, after sand and gravel had damaged their guts. The caissons stopped rolling in 2023, and the remaining horses retired to Florida.
The Army 'pulled out all the stops' to ensure the new caisson detachment has new horses, custom gear and expert training needed to conduct the ceremony safely, Army Maj. Gen. Trevor Bredenkamp, commanding general of Joint Task-Force National Capital Region and the U.S. Army Military District of Washington, told reporters.
In 2022, the Army spent about $1.2 million on operations and maintenance for the caisson detachment, Bredenkamp said. This year it will spend about $10 million.
By June, the Army plans to have three squads trained for funeral ceremony duty. Each squad will have 11 horses, Bredenkamp said. In a squad, a soldier rides one horse in the lead, six horses pull the caisson wagon, and a riderless horse follows. The remaining horses in the squad will be held in reserve. The squads will rotate funeral duty to maintain their health.
There is demand for 30 horse-drawn caisson funerals per week. Ultimately, the Army plans to grow its herd to about 100 horses, he said, enough for seven squads and backup horses.
Those eligible for the revived caisson program include troops killed in action, recipients of the Medal of Honor and the 25 service members whose family members have waited two years for the service to begin again, said Karen Durham-Aguilera, executive director of the Office of Army Cemeteries and Army National Military Cemeteries.
As always, the caisson detachment has an overriding mission: Carrying the body of deceased presidents, if they choose. Former President Jimmy Carter did so for his ceremony in January.
'The caisson represents a powerful symbol of service, sacrifice and remembrance,' Bredenkamp said. 'We will continue to honor those who have bravely served in our armed forces, and we look forward to seeing the caisson once again grace the grounds of our hallowed cemetery.'