So for anyone wondering...the moving pieces for President Bush's funeral began last night when his death was announced.
Inside the Military District of Washing Ceremonies office on Ft. McNair there are several large three ringed binders. No names are on them...just numbers. 39, 41, 42 etc. Those books contain the detailed plans each President, via a designated family representative, has for their respective funeral.
If they didn't leave a couple hours after notification, then early this morning a funeral team from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) boarded a plane at Andrews AFB bound for Houston to bring the body of the former President back to D.C.
When the plane returns to Andrews, after any memorial services and/or ceremonial functions conducted in Houston, there will be another team from The Old Guard Waiting to transfer the casket of the former President to a waiting hearse. Depending on what happens in Houston and depending on the wishes of the former President in his funeral book...this could happen in a matter of hours or take the weekend.
There will be a funeral procession to the capitol, if I had to make an educated guess, because he is a Navy Veteran, his procession may stop by the WW II memorial on it's way to the Capitol in the same manner that former President Ford's did in 2006.
There will be no less than three different casket teams...possibly four at the Capitol upon his arrival to transfer his casket to the top of the steps. Again making an educated guess, I'm thinking the casket and it's escort will pause briefly in front of the doors to the House of Representatives to honor his time as a member of the House before arriving at the rotunda where he will lay in state and people can come and pay their respects.
What people don't see is what goes on behind the scenes to make all of this happen. In addition to the normal state funeral rehearsals the Honor Guards conduct in D.C. there are right now orders going out for designated units, firing parties and teams to begin set up and rehearsal procedures that will continue over the weekend to ensure what the people see on TV is absolutely flawless.