🎖️ Why Get Certified?

Veteran families often navigate complex systems during their most vulnerable moments. Your knowledge can be the difference between confusion and clarity, between missed benefits and honored service.

  • Ensure accurate, up-to-date guidance on VA and state burial benefits
  • Learn best practices for working with national, state, tribal, and private cemeteries
  • Grow your professional impact and confidence
  • Stand out as a trusted resource for veteran families


“VBSB certification is key for anyone who has contact with veterans and their families at their greatest times of need. It demonstrates the deathcare industry’s commitment to ensuring no benefits go unclaimed and that survivors understand what’s available to them due to their loved one’s service and sacrifice.”
— Michael Henshaw, U.S. Army Veteran & VBSB Instructor

📘 What You’ll Learn

This 3-day, expert-led live online course includes:

✅ Introduction to VBSB Certification

✅ Verifying Veteran Eligibility

✅ VA Death & Burial Benefits

✅ National, State & Tribal Cemeteries

✅ Green Burial & Private Cemetery Options

✅ Military Funeral Honors & VSO Partnerships

✅ Targeted Veteran Outreach Strategies

✅ Active Duty Death Protocols & Casualty Assistance Officers

✅ Veteran Demographics & Burial Trends

✅ Survivor Benefits & Claims

✅ Guest Speaker Sessions

✅ Final Quiz + Live Q&A

You’ll walk away with confidence and clarity in navigating veteran deathcare options.

Course Instructors

Mike Henshaw

Michael Henshaw's distinguished career spans military service, government leadership, and private enterprise. A 25-year veteran of the US Army, his service included extensive work recovering the remains of missing service members from numerous conflicts, including WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and the Gulf Wars. This experience led to his expertise in international mass fatality management, evident in his leadership roles following the 2004 South Asia Tsunami, the 2010 Haiti Earthquake, and the 2019 Hurricane Dorian. He served as the Senior Doctrine Writer and Training Developer for the US Army’s Joint Mortuary Affairs Center (JMAC) from 2001-2003. He was awarded the US Army Quartermaster Center & School’s Distinguished Instructor Award during that time. He wrote five chapters for the Joint Techniques, Tactics and Procedures (JTTP) 4-06, Mortuary Affairs in Joint Operations, and designed the current-day Mortuary Affairs Contaminated Human Remains Mitigation System. Following his retirement from the Army in 2009, he served as Director of several VA National Cemeteries, culminating in his role as Director of Virginia State Veterans Cemeteries, where he led his team at the Southwest Virginia Veterans Cemetery to earn the Commonwealth’s first Operational Excellence Award from the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Currently, Mr. Henshaw is President and Founder of the Asymmetric MIA Accounting Group (AMAG), continuing his crucial work locating missing service members abroad, and the Director at the Sunbeam369 Institute, dedicated to educating others on veteran burial and survivor benefits. His numerous military decorations include two Bronze Star Medals for combat operations in Iraq, two Defense Meritorious Service Medals, five Meritorious Service Medals and numerous other awards and decorations. He is an inductee of the Honorary Order of Saint Martin and the Order of the Combat Spur.

Lee Webster

Lee Webster‘s experience with home funeral and green burial advocacy informs her work as a nationally recognized leader in the end of life sphere. She served in chief leadership positions with the National Home Funeral Alliance and the Green Burial Council, and helped found the National End-of-Life Doula Alliance and the Conservation Burial Alliance while directing New Hampshire Funeral Resources, Education & Advocacy. She is a writer, researcher, educator, long-time hospice volunteer, home funeral guide, conservationist, funeral-related website content writer and designer, and frequent speaker on home funerals, green burial, and funeral reform on the local and national front. She is the author of several home funeral and green burial books, including Changing Landscapes: Exploring the growth of ethical, compassionate and environmentally sustainable green funeral service and The After-Death care Educators Handbook, and has published articles and interviews that can be found in media outlets including The New Republic, Boston Globe, The New York Times, NPR, and many others. She co-teaches the Green Burial Masterclass, and is a frequent lecturer in continuing education, colleges, and university classes, including Dartmouth College and the University of New Hampshire.

Kenny Johnson

Kenny Johnson is a decorated Army veteran, entrepreneur, and passionate leader in veteran employment and funeral service innovation. As the Founder and Director of Veteran Recruitment at Sunbeam 369, Kenny helps funeral service providers across the country attract, train, and retain veteran talent while maximizing the use of VA-approved programs such as On-the-Job Training (OJT), SkillBridge, and the Army Career Skills Program (CSP). A West Point graduate and Purple Heart recipient, Kenny combines deep operational experience with an MBA and MS from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise. He has worked at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, supporting veteran families, and previously led teams in precision agriculture and sustainability at Fortune 500 companies, including Corteva, FMC, and Ernst & Young. Kenny’s veteran-focused approach to marketing, recruiting, and social impact has made him a trusted advisor to both funeral service providers and national veteran organizations. He serves as an active board member of the Purple Heart Foundation and volunteers with the Green Burial Council.

🧰 Who Should Enroll?

This course is ideal for:

  • Funeral Directors & Staff
  • Cemetery Managers & Admins
  • Veteran Service Officers
  • Mortuary Science Students
  • Anyone guiding veteran families through end-of-life planning

🏆 What You’ll Receive

🎖 Purple Heart Foundation Endorsement

📜 Certificate of Proficiency

📚 15 APFSP Contact Hours (check with your state board)

🛠 Downloadable Resources, Tools, & Checklists

🌐 A network of professionals dedicated to serving veteran families 

🌟 Why Sunbeam 369 Institute?

This course is delivered by the Sunbeam 369 Institute, the training arm of Sunbeam 369—a veteran-founded company bridging military and deathcare.

We use a proven model to strengthen funeral homes and cemeteries:

  • ATTRACT: Veteran clients with purposeful veteran talent
  • TRAIN: Deathcare professionals through expert-led education
  • RETAIN: Veteran employees with strategic support & consulting


We don’t just teach—we live it. Our instructors are veterans who understand the field and the families you serve.


🧭 How It Works

We understand that dedicating 15 hours over three consecutive days (Tuesday through Thursday, 5 hours per day) may be challenging for busy organizations aiming to certify multiple employees. To better support your needs, we offer the following flexible training options:

  1. Standard Certification Course
    Attend all three sessions in a single course cycle to become VBSB-certified.
    Cost: $995/person (discount code available)

  2. Split Session Enrollment
    Complete the three required sessions over multiple course cycles (course dates below).
    For example:

    • Day 1 in June

    • Day 2 in July

    • Day 3 in a subsequent course
      Cost: $995/person (discount code available)

  3. Condensed On-Site or Offsite Training
    One full-day, in-person training (8:00 AM – 5:00 PM with a 1-hour lunch)

    • On-site: $4,495 for up to 12 participants

    • Offsite: $4,995 at a nearby venue

    • Additional attendees: $300 per person
      This version covers essential certification components in a streamlined format.

  4. Customized Training Solutions
    We’re happy to tailor a program to fit your organization's unique scheduling or content needs. Let us know how we can best support your team’s efforts to serve veterans and their families.

  1. All options include:

    • VBSB Certificate of Completion

    • VBSB Lapel Pin

    • 1.5 CE Credits

    • Access to alumni updates, ongoing support, and peer chat room

  2. Additionally, a portion of Sunbeam369 Institute’s revenue from this course is donated to nonprofit organizations that work to locate and return the remains of missing service members from WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War to their families for proper burial.

    Organizations with two or more certified team members will also be recognized on our website as a Certified Veteran and Survivor Benefits Center of Excellence—a public acknowledgment of your commitment to honoring and supporting veterans and their families.

    Our currently scheduled online course dates are:

    June 24-26

    July 8-10

    July 22-24

    August 5-7

    August 19-21

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the course?
 Three days of live training sessions (with breaks), plus course guide.

Do I have to attend live?
 Yes, to receive certification and CEUs, live attendance is required.

Are CEUs available?
 Yes, this course qualifies for CE hours. Documentation provided upon completion.

Is this certification nationally recognized?
 Yes, the certification is APFSP-certified and includes a Purple Heart Foundation endorsement.

Do you offer group pricing?
 Yes. We provide special rates for funeral homes, cemeteries, and organizations enrolling multiple team members. To learn more or request a custom group quote, email us at [email protected].

How often is this course held?
 The VBSB Certification is offered multiple times throughout the year. We aim to host a new cohort at least once per quarter. Dates are announced in advance, and early registration is encouraged as space is limited.

What if I need help after the course?
 You won’t be on your own. Sunbeam 369 offers ongoing support to help you apply what you've learned, including guidance on outreach, strategy, and staff training. Plus, you'll join a private Facebook group with your class cohort to stay connected, share ideas, and get peer support.

📞 Additional Questions? Contact Us

Kenny Johnson, Founder
📧 [email protected]
📞 317-437-6898
🌐 Sunbeam369.com