Establishing Eligibility

Arlington National Cemetery's eligibility requirements for burial and inurnment are different from other national cemeteries that are maintained by the Department of Veterans Affairs.  Eligibility for in-ground burial at Arlington National Cemetery is the most stringent of all U.S. national cemeteries. However, most veterans who have at least one day of active service (other than for training) and an honorable discharge are eligible for above-ground inurnment. Eligibility is determined at the time of need. 

Eligibility for interment at Arlington National Cemetery is verified at the time of need (time of death) and cannot be verified by the cemetery or accommodated before that time. Title 32 Code of Federal Regulations Part 553 (26 September 2016), Section 12, outlines which individuals who are eligible for interment (in-ground burial) at Arlington National Cemetery. 

This federal regulation can be found here. Definitions of terms used can be found in Section 1 (553.1).

the image links to the site

To make this personal. 

The soldier on the far left horse is my father at an Arilington burial