Military Support - Navy Gold Star Program

Navy Gold Star is the Navy’s official program for providing long-term support to surviving families of Sailors who pass while on Active Duty. If you are visiting this page because you are a surviving family member of a deceased service member, please accept our most heartfelt sympathy and gratitude for your loved one’s service and sacrifice in defending our nation.

Navy Gold Star is an inclusive program – regardless of your loved one’s military branch, location, or manner of death. Our commitment to you is that regardless of the branch of service, we will provide you with support and help you locate your branch’s survivor services. Navy Gold Star support coordinators provide dedicated outreach and support when, and for as long as, you desire. Our coordinators are located all over the United States and are ready to help you in any way they can.

Your loved one has given the ultimate sacrifice, and we know that there is nothing we can say or do that will completely comfort you in your loss. There is no greater calling than to serve our nation with honor. We are dedicated to delivering on the promise of taking care of our own by providing support to surviving families. For us, there is no greater duty than to support the families of those who have died in service to our nation.

Eligibility

Personnel eligible to participate in the NGS program include the widow, parents and the next of kin. The term "widow" includes widower ; the term "parents" includes mother, father, stepmother, stepfather, mother through adoption, father through adoption, and foster parents who stood in loco parentis; the term "next of kin" only includes children, brothers, sisters, half-brothers, and half-sisters; and the term "children" includes stepchildren and children through adoption.

Enrollment in Navy Gold Star program does not provide or grant authorization to Survivors for additional benefits/privileges beyond what the Survivor was entitled to prior to the death of the service member.