1. 150 Years of Keeping the Promise 1 NCA Burial and Memorial Basics Timothy Spain Director, FNOD Office 150 Years of Keeping the Promise 1

2. Briefing Agenda  History, Mission and Responsibilities  Leadership and Organizational Structure  Benefits  3-Pronged Strategy to Meet Future Needs (Extend, Build and Support)  Extend life of existing cemeteries  Build 18 new cemeteries  Support State and Tribal Cemeteries  State and Tribal Grants Program  Emerging Burials Study  NCA Key Initiatives  NCA Innovations/Best Practices  Improving Cultural Competencies  Customer Service Excellence 2

3. 150 Years of Keeping the Promise NCA History  First national cemeteries established in 1862  Prior, soldiers buried where they fell “To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan.” (2 nd Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865 ) Commander-in-Chief Lincoln 3

4. 150 Years of Keeping the Promise NCA Mission The National Cemetery Administration (NCA) honors Veterans and their families with final resting places in national shrines and lasting tributes that commemorate their service and sacrifice to our Nation. NCA Vision To be the model of excellence for burial and memorial benefits for our Nation’s Veterans and their families 4

5. 150 Years of Keeping the Promise NCA Responsibilities  Provide burial space for Veterans and eligible family members  Maintain national cemeteries as national shrines  Administer the Federal grants program for construction of state and tribal Veterans cemeteries  Furnish headstones, markers and medallions for the graves of Veterans around the world  Administer the Presidential Memorial Certificate (PMC) Program  Administer the First Notice of Death (FNOD) program 5

6. 150 Years of Keeping the Promise Partners in Managing Military and Veterans Cemeteries  VA – 131  VA grant-funded cemeteries- 100  Army - 30  Interior - 14 Gettysburg National Cemetery, PA  ABMC - 25 6

7. NCA Organizational Chart USMAPDUSMA DUS Field Programs Director, Office of Field Programs Director, Memorial Programs Service DUS Finance and Planning/CFO DUS Management Executive Director, Human Capital Management Ron Walters Interim Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs 150 Years of Keeping the Promise 7

8. NCA District Offices 8

9.  1,772 employees  About 87% of our employees work outside of DC  Over 74% of NCA employeesare Vets  highest of any Federal agency  Includes 450+ returningVeterans from Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Serving Veterans 150 Years of Keeping the Promise 9

10.  Burial in a national cemetery:  Gravesite  Opening and closing of the grave  Grave liner  Perpetual care of the gravesite  Headstone, Markers or Niche Covers  Presidential Memorial Certificate  Bronze Medallion  U.S. Flag (VBA benefit)  Military Funeral Honors (DoD) Veteran Burial Benefits 12

11. 150 Years of Keeping the Promise Eligibility Criteria and Scheduling  Any member of the U.S. Armed Forces who dies on active duty  Any Veteran who was discharged under qualifying conditions (other than dishonorable)  National Guard members and Reservists with 20 years of qualifying service, who are entitled to retired pay  Spouses, minor children and certain parents The National Cemetery Scheduling Office serves all national cemeteries, seven days a week, 362 days a year Toll Free Number: 1-800-535-1117 13

12. Military Funeral Honors  Department of Defense (DoD) is responsible for providing military funeral honors  Veterans organizations may assist in the provision of military funeral honors  NCA cemetery staff may assist in coordinating military funeral honors 150 Years of Keeping the Promise 15

13. 150 Years of Keeping the Promise Memorial Benefits “In Memory of…”Upright Headstone Niche Covers Flat Marker Bronze Medallion Presidential Memorial Certificate Burial Flag 14

14. Headstones and Markers  Application available on line at http://www.va.gov/vaforms/va/pdf/VA40-1330.pdf  http://www.va.gov/vaforms/va/pdf/VA40-1330M.pdf  FAX applications to 1-800-455-7143.  MAIL applications to: Memorial Programs Service (41A1) Department of Veterans Affairs 5109 Russell Road Quantico, VA 22134-3903

15. Presidential Memorial Certificate  Application available on line at http://www.va.gov/vaforms/va/pdf/VA40-0247.pdf  FAX applications to 1-800-455-7143.  MAIL applications to: Presidential Memorial Certificates (41A1C) National Cemetery Administration 5109 Russell Road Quantico, VA 22134-3903

16. 150 Years of Keeping the Promise Three Pronged Strategy to meet future burial needs 1.Extend the service life of existing cemeteries 2.Develop new national cemeteries a.Five (5) national cemeteries planned b.Five (5) Urban cemeteries c.Eight (8) Rural cemeteries 3.Support State and Tribal Cemetery Grant Program Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, MO 16

17. 150 Years of Keeping the Promise National Cemetery and Urban Initiative Omaha National Cemetery, NE Tallahassee National Cemetery, FL Cape Canaveral National Cemetery, FL Western NY area Southern CO area New York City area Los Angeles area Chicago area San Francisco Area-Alameda New National Cemetery Urban Initiative Indianapolis area 17 150 Years of Keeping the Promise

18. Rural Initiative MT ID WY UT NV NCA is establishing National Veterans Burial Grounds in eight states. In May 2014, VA dedicated the first of these rural cemeteries (Yellowstone National Cemetery) in Laurel, Montana (see inset picture). ND WI ME 18

19. 150 Years of Keeping the Promise State and Tribal Cemetery Grants Program  VA provides 100% of development costs  100 operational state and tribal cemeteries in 45 states, Guam and Saipan  Over $578 million in grants awarded since 1978  36 state and 6 tribal cemeteries are on the FY2016 Priority list at an estimated project value of $120 million. Administrative Building Sicangu Akicita Owicahe (Rosebud Sioux Tribe Veteran Cemetery) White River, SD The Seminole Nation dedicated the cemetery on November 21, 2014, Hwy 59, Seminole, OK 19

20. Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country Tribal Government grants - Law enacted December 2006 (PL 109-461 Sec.403)  Made tribal organizations eligible for cemetery establishment grants on tribal trust lands -First grants awarded in 2011 -Awarded annually, in same manner as states -Opportunity to serve additional Veterans 20

21. Submit pre-application through grants.gov by July 1 st. Upon receipt VCGS will issue a viability letter to the applicant explaining next steps. Grant Opportunity can be searched using (CFDA) Number 64.203, www.federalgrants.com. To receive the highest consideration the pre-application must include Certification of State or Tribal Matching Funds and State or Tribal Legislation supporting the project. Grants Process

22. Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country National cemeteries allow all eligible Veterans to be interred at national cemeteries States have the option to have a residency requirement as an additional eligibility requirement for their cemeteries -e.g., Must have lived in state for 2 years Tribal governments may add tribal requirements -e.g., Any Sioux Veteran may be interred 22

23. Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country Tribal Veterans cemeteries aim to honor tribal customs and traditions, such as: –Use of tribal symbols –Longer committal services –Graveside burials –Areas to tie-up horses –Areas for traditional burials 23

24. Emblems of Belief Medicine Wheel (left); Native American Church of North America (below); Four Directions (bottom right)

25. Partners in Honoring Our Fallen Warriors Native American Honor Guard, Black Hills National Cemetery, Sturgis, South Dakota

26. George D. Eisenbach Jr, Director george.eisenbach@va.gov@va.gov (202) 632-7369 Howard Orr, Project Manager howard.orr@va.gov (202) 632-7203 Tom Paquelet, Project Manager thomas.paquelet@va.gov (202) 632-7202 LaQuisha Barnes, Program Specialist LaQuisha.barnes@va.gov@va.gov (202) 632-8001 Veterans Cemetery Grants Service Contact List

27. 150 Years of Keeping the Promise 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 FY01FY04FY07 Fiscal Year FY12FY17 Percentage of Vets Served* % of V et e r a ns S e r v ed *By an open national, state or tribal Veterans cemetery within 75 miles of home 27

28. Independent Study on Emerging Burial Practices  Nationwide survey with Veterans  Burial options  “Green burials”  Study and survey presented to NCA senior leadership-August 2014  NCA expects to use the study as a cornerstone of its new Strategic Plan 2016-2021 150 Years of Keeping the Promise 29

29.  Pending Regulations  (1) Establish reimbursement of casket and urn purchase for indigent, unclaimed Veterans  (2) Expand definition of applicant for headstone and marker applications  Continued gravesite accountability efforts  GPS/GIS audit capability in FY15 – FY16  Memorials Benefit Management System (MBMS)  Improvements to BOSS/AMAS, FNOD, and PMC  Integration with VA enterprise data  Integration of GPS/GIS mapping  Integration of mobile capabilities NCA Key Initiatives 150 Years of Keeping the Promise 29

30. NCA Innovations Raise and Realign projects Installation of Support Systems Pre-placed cryptsSustainability Efforts BEFOREAFTER 150 Years of Keeping the Promise 30

31. Improving Cultural Competency NCA Executive Diversity Council/Special Emphasis Program Advisory Committee -Strategic plan objective; stood up January 2013 -Establish and champion diversity -Promote Federal workplace as model of cultural competency DC-area members of NCA’s Executive Diversity Council attend training

32. Veterans serving Veterans -Over 74% of NCA employees are Vets -Highest % in any Federal agency -Includes 400+ returning Veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan Improving Cultural Competency National Defense Service Medal Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Vietnam Service Medal Southwest Asia Service Medal Kosovo Campaign Medal Afghanistan Campaign Medal Iraq Campaign Medal Global War on Terrorism Exp. Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Korea Defense Service Medal Armed Forces Service Medal Humanitarian Service Medal 32

33. Improving Cultural Competency Increasing workforce representation of American Indians/Alaska Natives in NCA -Doubled from FY2010-2012 -Still underrepresented, though Longstanding relationships with SAIGE, American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) and Minority Access, Inc. to assist with AI/AN recruitment and retention

34. Improving Cultural Competency Outreach: -National Congress of American Indians Annual National Convention -Gathering of Nations Pow Wow, Indian Trader's Market -SAIGE Annual Training Conference -Tribal Veteran Representative Training (TVR) American Indian representation on Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Cemeteries and Memorials

35. 2013 ACSI Survey on Outreach Primary methods of learning of benefits:  family members or friends (58%) and funeral homes (36%) (similar to 2012) 150 Years of Keeping the Promise 27

36. 150 Years of Keeping the Promise 2015 Survey of Satisfaction  Conducted annually since 2001  Mailed to next of kin and funeral directors  Ties to strategic plan goals for customer service and cemetery appearance; i.e., 100% satisfaction by 2016 Columbarium, Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, PA 36

37. 150 Years of Keeping the Promise American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI)  In 2013, NCAagain achieved the highest ranking of any participating organization  Fifth consecutive time! 37

38. 38 To stay current with NCA: Visit our Website www.cem.va.gov Follow us on Twitter @VANatCemeteries Become a fan on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/NationalCemeteries Please keep in touch!

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