They must be returned to the U.S. Army for any reason the Legion post no longer needs them.
American Legion posts in good standing can request ceremonial rifles from the U.S. Army for honor guard members to use. But it is imperative that post members know that these rifles are property of the U.S. Army and are only on loan to posts. Therefore, they must be returned to the U.S. Army for any reason the Legion post no longer needs them.
All information pertaining to ceremonial rifles, including the storage of, requests forms, damaged or unserviceable rifles and more, is found under Military Equipment in the Officer’s Guide & Manual of Ceremonies.
Ceremonial rifle request. To request ceremonial post rifle(s), ammunition or surplus military equipment, download the form here. Only a post commander or post adjutant may submit this request. The request form requires a physical address (not a P.O. Box number), a telephone number, a contact person, the number of active members, and the post commander’s or adjutant’s signature. The recipient must be a person, not a place of business. State the number of rifles desired, up to a maximum of 15. Failure to include any requirement will result in the letter of request being returned to the post.
Forward the form to your department headquarters, Attn: Department Adjutant. All requests for surplus military equipment must first go through your department headquarters to verify the legitimacy of the post making the request. Your department headquarters will forward the completed and approved form to the National Security Division at The American Legion’s Washington, D.C., office.
Once TACOM receives the properly endorsed request provided by The American Legion’s Washington office, processing will begin and an eligibility package will be sent to the post. The package will include the checklist and forms required for completion by the post commander or adjutant. Return the original forms to TACOM. At this time, it takes approximately 90 days for rifles to be shipped after receipt of the eligibility requirements from the post. Currently, TACOM only issues M-1 Garand rifles. The U.S. Army TACOM website, tacom.army.mil/ilsc/donations, is a good source for questions on the military weapons and equipment program.
Updated email on file. Every three years, Legion posts are required to perform an inventory of the U.S. Army-owned ceremonial rifles issued for as long as they are retained. This reequipment is now completed through an online certification process. A valid post or officer email address must be on file with TACOM.
Return of rifles. As mentioned above, all ceremonial rifles are the property of the U.S. Army. Therefore, they must be returned to the U.S. Army for any reason the Legion post no longer needs them.
To return the loaned rifles, submit a written request to U.S. Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command, Attn: AMSTA-LCL-IWD, M/S: 419D, 6501 East 11 Mile Road, Warren, MI 48397-5000. NEVER return any weapons to TACOM.
In most cases, the Army Donations Program Office will request prepaid shipping labels, which are sent to the requester from the Civilian Marksmanship Program to assist with the return of rifles. After the rifles are returned, provide a copy of the receipt to TACOM for validation of the return. In turn, it will send a letter to absolve the post of responsibility and accountability for the returned rifles.
Missing rifles. If rifles are no longer in the possession of the post, it is a requirement to state what happened to them. Either a police and/or fire department report or notarized statement signed by the commander describing the circumstances surrounding their loss and the action(s) taken to recover the rifles is required. Send this information to TACOM for review. After review, a determination is made as to the liability for the missing/lost/stolen rifles. The post will be notified if reimbursement costs are required. An inventory is required every three years from the date of issue or upon request. All care and maintenance of the conditionally loaned rifles is the post’s responsibility.
Damaged or unserviceable M1 rifles. If M1 Garand rifles are no longer functioning, the post is required to have a licensed gun dealer or an armorer certify the serviceability of each weapon in question. The post must provide a report by model, manufacturer and serial number detailing what is wrong with each rifle and how much it costs to fix it with respect to shooting blank ammunition. TACOM will determine if the cost to repair exceeds the cost to refurbish and ship replacement rifles to the post. If it does not, the post is required to pay for the repair costs.
- Dispatch