Josh de Leon VCGS Director John Gardner Program Specialist March xx 2013 Veterans Cemetery Grants Service 1 VA National Cemeteries in Indian Country Mr George D Eisenbach Jr ID: 183281
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VCGS Compliance Review Program
Josh de Leon, VCGS DirectorJohn Gardner, Program SpecialistMarch xx, 2013
Veterans Cemetery Grants Service
1
VA National Cemeteries
in Indian Country
Mr. George D. Eisenbach, Jr.
Acting Director
Veterans Cemetery Grants Service
June 6, 2013Slide2
Agenda
Caring for our HistoryServing Veterans and Families -Benefits and Eligibility
-Cemeteries in Indian Country
Improving Cultural Competency
-Diversity/Special Emphasis Programs
-Emerging Burial Needs Study
Q &ASlide3
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)Slide4
Serving Veterans and Families: 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
4Slide5
Serving Veterans and Families: Burial Benefits
GravesiteOpening and closing of the grave
Grave liner
Perpetual
care of the gravesite
Headstone, marker or medallion
U.S
. Flag
Presidential
Memorial
Certificate
5Slide6
Headstones, Markers and Medallions
“In Memory of…”
Upright Headstone
Niche Covers
Flat Marker
Medallion
6Slide7
Emblems of Belief
Medicine Wheel
(left);
Native American Church of North America (below);
Four Directions (bottom right) Slide8
Presidential Memorial Certificates
For active duty and honorably discharged
Veterans
Inscribed
with the
deceased’s name
Bears the
President’s signature
8Slide9
Serving Veterans and Families: Eligibility Criteria
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
and minor children
Certain
eligible parents (Corey Shea Act)
9Slide10
National Cemeteries
in Indian CountryFort Richardson National Cemetery,
Anchorage, Alaska
Fort Gibson National Cemetery, OklahomaSlide11
National Cemeteries
in Indian CountryTahoma National Cemetery, Kent, WashingtonNational Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, PhoenixSlide12
National Cemeteries
in Indian CountrySanta Fe National Cemetery, New Mexico
Leavenworth National Cemetery, KansasSlide13
National Cemeteries
in Indian Country
MT
ID
WY
NV
UT
ND
WI
ME
National Veterans Burial Grounds/Rural Initiative
13Slide14
Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country
Tribal Government grants - Law enacted December 2006
Made tribal organizations eligible for cemetery establishment grants on tribal trust lands
-First grants awarded in 2011
4 awarded to-date; 5 on FY13 priority list
-Awarded annually, in same manner as states
-Opportunity to serve additional Veterans
Slide15
Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country
Tribal Veterans cemeteries aim to honor tribal customs and traditions, such as:Use of tribal symbolsLonger committal servicesGraveside burials
Areas to tie-up horsesAreas for traditional burialsSlide16
Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country
First Operational VA-funded Tribal Veterans Cemetery
Monte Calvario Cemetery, Tucson, Arizona
Pascua Yaqui Tribe
Dedicated Veterans Day, 2011Slide17
Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country
Grant Award and Groundbreaking Ceremony
Sicangu Akicita Owicahe
(Veterans Cemetery)
Near Mission, South DakotaRosebud Sioux Tribe
September 19, 2011Slide18
Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country
Under Construction; Projected Opening FY2013
Sicangu Akicita Owicahe (Veterans Cemetery)
Rosebud Sioux TribeSlide19
Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country
Under Construction; Projected Opening FY2013
Tribal Veterans CemeteryHumboldt County, California
Yurok TribeSlide20
Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country
Under Construction; Projected Opening FY2014
Lakota Freedom Veterans CemeteryPine Ridge, South Dakota
Oglala Sioux TribeSlide21
Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country
Tribal grants on 2013 Priority List:-Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, Wewoka, Oklahoma
-Big Sandy Rancheria, Auberry, California
-Navajo Nation, Chinle, Arizona
-Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, Pawnee, Oklahoma
-Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe, Fallon, Nevada
-Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians, Tuolumne, Calif.Slide22
Residency vs. Tribal Requirements
National cemeteries allow all eligible veterans to be interred at national cemeteriesStates 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 interredSlide23
Joshua de Leon, Director
joshua.deleon@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
John Gardner, Program Specialist
john.gardner3
@va.gov
(202) 632-8001
Veterans Cemetery Grants Service Contact ListSlide24
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 trainingSlide25
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
25Slide26
Improving Cultural Competency
Increasing workforce representation of American Indians/Alaska Natives in NCA -Doubled from FY2010-2012 -Still underrepresented, thoughLongstanding relationships with SAIGE, American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) and Minority Access, Inc. to assist with AI/AN recruitment and retentionSlide27
Improving Cultural Competency
Outreach, FY12 and 13 -National Congress of American Indians Annual National Convention -Gathering of Nations Pow Wow, Indian Trader's Market -SAIGE Annual Training Conference
American Indian representation on Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Cemeteries and MemorialsSlide28
Improving Cultural Competency
Emerging Burial Needs Study -Identify emerging
burial trends
-Identify Veteran
preferences
-Ensure burial needs of Veterans
and families are met
Natural Burial Area
Courtesy Natural Burial Co-operativeSlide29
Partners in Honoring
Our Fallen Warriors
Native American Honor Guard,
Black Hills National Cemetery, Sturgis, South Dakota