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Tribal Veteran Representatives

Timothy SpainDirector, First Notice of Death Office

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Briefing Agenda

• Burial benefits overview

• Veterans cemeteries in Indian Country

• Opportunities to establish new cemeteries through VA’s Veterans Cemetery Grants Program

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Our Mission

The National Cemetery Administrationhonors Veterans and their families

with final resting places in national shrines and

lasting tributes that commemorate their service and sacrifice to our Nation.

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Our Vision

To be the model of excellence for burial and memorials

for our Nation’s Veterans and their families.

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American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI)

• In 2013, NCA again achieved the highest ranking of any participating organization

• Fifth consecutive time in 13 years!

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FY01 FY04 FY07 FY12 FY170

102030405060708090

100

Percentage of Vets Served*%

of V

eter

ans

Serv

ed

Fiscal Year

*By an open national, state or tribal Veterans cemetery within 75 miles of home

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• Veterans serving Veterans

-Over 74% of NCA employees are Vets

-Highest % in any Federal agency

-Includes 450+ returning Veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan

Veterans Serving VeteransNational 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

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Outreach

We use the Web, Twitter, Facebook, applications for handheld devices, and face-to-face contact to reach Veterans, families and the funeral industry

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Targeted Outreach

• Outreach, FY12/13-National Congress of American Indians Annual National Convention-Gathering of Nations Pow Wow, Indian Trader's

Market-SAIGE Annual Training Conference-USET Semi-Annual Meeting

• American Indian representation on Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Cemeteries and Memorials

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Improving Cultural Competency• Increasing workforce representation of

American Indians/Alaska Natives in NCA-More than doubled from FY2010-2013-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

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Our Responsibilities• Provide burial space for Veterans and eligible family members

and 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 program

• Administer the First Notice of Death program

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Caring for our History

Navajo code talker Roy Hawthorne stands next to the code talker monument unveiled March 21, 2013 at Santa Fe National Cemetery, New Mexico

(Photo credit: Eddie Moore/ABQ Journal)

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Strategy to Meet Burial Needs of Veterans

Extend the service life of existing cemeteries

New ColumbariumJefferson Barracks National Cemetery,

St. Louis, MO

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Strategy to Meet Burial Needs of Veterans

•Develop new national cemeteries

• Five new nationalcemeteries planned

• Urban initiative

• Rural initiative Sarasota National Cemetery, FL

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Future National Cemetery Construction

Omaha, NE

Tallahassee, FLScottsmoor, FL

Western NY area

Southern CO area

New York City area

Los Angeles area

Chicagoarea

San Francisco area

New National Cemetery

Urban InitiativeUrban Initiative

Indianapolisarea

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Rural Initiative

MT

IDWY

NVUT

ND

WIME

National Veterans Burial Grounds

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Burial Benefits• Gravesite• Opening and closing of the grave• Grave liner• Perpetual care of the gravesite• Headstone, marker or medallion• U.S. Flag• Presidential Memorial Certificate

150 Years of Keeping the Promise

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• Any member of the U.S. Armed Forces who dies• on active duty

• Any Veteran who was discharged under conditions• other than dishonorable

• National Guard members and Reservists with 20 years of• qualifying service, who are entitled to retired pay

• Spouses and minor children

• Certain eligible parents (Corey Shea Act)

Eligibility Criteria

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H.R. 3219, Veterans’ Benefits Act of 2010

• Allows a parent whose child gave their life in service to our country to be buried in a national cemetery with that child when their veteran child has no living spouse or children

• Increase burial and funeral benefits and burial plot allowances for Veterans who are eligible for a burial at a national cemetery or who died in a V.A. facility from $300 to $700

Legislation

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On October 13, 2010, Section 502 of Public Law 111-275 authorized VA to extend burial eligibility in VA national cemeteries to parents of certain deceased service members in the same grave with their deceased service member child. Parent eligibility is not retroactive.

The service member must meet each of the following requirements: ○ died on or after October 7, 2001, as a hostile casualty or from training-related injuries; ○ is interred in a VA national cemetery, in a gravesite with available space; ○ and, has no spouse, surviving spouse, or child who is buried, or who, upon death, may be eligible for burial, in a VA national cemetery.

The parent must be a biological or legally adoptive parent who died on or after October 13, 2010.

All eligibility determinations are made at time of need.

The “Corey Shea Act” Expanded Eligibility for Certain Parents

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• Title 38, United States Code, section 2411 prohibits interment or memorialization of persons who have committed federal or State capital crimes

• Title 38, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), section 38.617 addresses cases where there is a Notice of Conviction

• Title 38, CFR, section 38.618 addresses cases where there is no Notice of Conviction due to death or flight to avoid prosecution – e.g. murder / suicides

• Only applies to the perpetrator and does not affect eligibility of other family members

Capital Crime Prohibition Statute

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• Veterans and other claimants for VA burial benefits have the right to appeal decisions made by VA regarding eligibility for national cemetery burial or other memorial benefits.

• A claimant has one year from the date of the notification of a VA decision to file an appeal. The first step in the appeal process is for a claimant to file a written notice of disagreement with the NCA office that made the decision.

• Following receipt of the written notice, VA will furnish the claimant a “Statement of the Case” describing what facts, laws, and regulations were used in deciding the case. To complete the request for appeal, the claimant must file a “Substantive Appeal” within 60 days of the mailing of the Statement of the Case, or within one year from the date VA mailed its decision, whichever period ends later.

Right to Appeal

Memorial Programs Service

Memorial Programs Service

352,365 Headstones and Markers Provided

719,094 Presidential Memorial Certificates

Medallion7,470 Provided

Headstones and Markers

Application available on line at http://www.va.gov/vaforms/va/pdf/VA40-1330.pdf

FAX applications to 1-800-455-7143. MAIL applications to:

Memorial Programs Service (41A1)Department of Veterans Affairs5109 Russell Road Quantico, VA 22134-3903

Veteran Medallion Benefit

P.L. 110-157• Became available to the public in June 2010

– Branch of Service– 3 sizes; 5, 3 and 1.5 inches– In lieu of a headstone or marker– Death on or after November 1, 1990

Bronze Veteran Medallion• Application available on line at

http://www.va.gov/vaforms/va/pdf/VA40-1330M.pdf

Presidential Memorial Certificate

•For honorably discharged Veterans

• Inscribed with the Veteran’s name

• Bears the President’s signature

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 Administration5109 Russell Road Quantico, VA 22134-3903

Communicating With MPS Applicant Assistance Unit

Toll-Free Telephone Number 1-800-697-6947 Received 86,531 calls in FY 2010 Average Speed of Answer 1:20 (mm:ss)

IRIS VA’s Internal Email Routing System that allows NCA/MPS to respond

to questions routed from the VA website MPS Email

MPS’ email address to respond to inquiries from the public @ mps.headstones@va.gov

First Notice of Death

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“By entering FNOD information, cancelling compensation payments, and communicating with family members. The FNOD program ensures overpayments of

compensation are reduced or eliminated, family members receive timely and accurate information concerning possible entitlement to survivor benefits ,and medical

appointments for deceased veterans are cancelled, thereby freeing up time and resources to serve other veterans.”

FY 2013– 705,603 NODs Processed369,214 Flag Applications93,000 NCA Burial Records129,447 Headstone/Marker Records70,139 Insurance Records7,966 Arlington NC31, 262 VHA

FY 2013 – $57.2 million in overpayments avoided through timely processing of Veterans’ Notice of Death

•To report a Notice of Death call your local VA Regional Office at 1-800-827-1000

First Notice of Death Office (FNOD)

Veterans Cemetery Grants Program

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Veterans Cemetery Grants Program

• 90 operational state and tribal cemeteries in 45 states, Guam and Saipan

• Over $500 million in grants awarded since program inception

• 32,000 burials in FY13

Grant Award PresentationBG William C. Doyle Veterans

Memorial Cemetery, Wrightstown, N.J., November 2012

150 Years of Keeping the Promise

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National Cemeteries in Indian Country

Memorial walkway at the MemorialCemetery of AZ

Entrance Gate Memorial Cemetery of AZ

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National Cemeteries in Indian Country

Tahoma National Cemetery, Kent, Washington

National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, Phoenix

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National Cemeteries in Indian Country

Santa Fe National Cemetery, New Mexico

Leavenworth National Cemetery, Kansas

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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 20115 awarded to-date

-Awarded annually, in same manner as states

-Opportunity to serve additional Veterans

• Submit pre-application through grants.gov by July 1st .

• 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

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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

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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

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Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country

First Operational VA-funded Tribal Veterans CemeteryMonte Calvario Cemetery, Tucson, Arizona

Pascua Yaqui TribeDedicated Veterans Day 2011

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Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country

Grant Award and Groundbreaking CeremonySicangu Akicita Owicahe (Veterans Cemetery)

Near Mission, South DakotaRosebud Sioux Tribe

September 2011

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Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country

Sicangu Akicita Owicahe (Veterans Cemetery)Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Dedicated 2013

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Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country

Under Construction; Projected Opening FY2014Tribal Veterans Cemetery

Humboldt County, CaliforniaYurok Tribe

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Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country

Under Construction; Projected Opening FY2014Lakota Freedom Veterans Cemetery

Pine Ridge, South DakotaOglala Sioux Tribe

• George D. Eisenbach Jr, Acting Directorgeorge.eisenbach@va.gov (202) 632-7369

• Howard Orr, Project Managerhoward.orr@va.gov(202) 632-7203

• Tom Paquelet, Project Managerthomas.paquelet@va.gov(202) 632-7202

• LaQuisha Barnes, Program SpecialistLaQuisha.barnes@va.gov(202) 632-8001

Veterans Cemetery Grants Service Contact List

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Partners in Honoring Our Fallen Warriors

Native American Honor Guard, Black Hills National Cemetery, Sturgis, South Dakota

…“to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow,

and his orphan”…

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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!