Burial Mistakes Eyed At Arlington Cemetery

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http://wbztv.com/national/arlington....2.1743805.html

Officials: Unclear If Correct Bodies Are Buried In Number Of Graves

It's uncertain who is buried in a number of graves at Arlington National Cemetery because of poor management and record keeping, Pentagon officials said Thursday.

Army Secretary John McHugh is set to release on Thursday the results of an investigation of Arlington that officials say found problems with keeping track of some burials. The cemetery is resting place for about 300,000, including veterans, war casualties, American presidents and dignitaries.

Two managers at the cemetery could face punishment, two defense officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak before McHugh. John C. Metzler Jr., the cemetery superintendent for the past 19 years, recently announced his retirement.

Officials said the problems at Arlington have gone on for years, but they declined to say how long and how many burial sites are involved. They said in some cases a grave marker was not placed soon enough after burial or records were not kept updated, resulting in uncertainty later about the identities of the deceased at some grave sites.

McHugh ordered an investigation by the Army inspector general in November after revelations that cemetery workers inadvertently buried cremated remains at a grave site already in use.

The error was discovered in May 2008, and cemetery officials immediately moved the cremated remains to another site and remarked the original grave, the Pentagon said in November. But there also were questions about whether cemetery officials used proper procedures to correct the mistake, including notifying the next of kin.

"This is the place where valor rests, a place of reverence and respect for all Americans," McHugh said when he ordered the probe. "As the final resting place of our nation's heroes, any questions about the integrity or accountability of its operations should be examined in a manner befitting their service and sacrifice."

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Mchugh Strengthens Arlington National Cemetery Management, Oversight





FORMER SENATORS DOLE, CLELAND WILL LEAD INDEPENDENT PANEL









Secretary of the Army John McHugh today announced sweeping changes in the management and oversight of Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) following completion of a months-long probe by the Army's Inspector General.

"While the Inspector General's (IG) team found that ANC employees – under an extraordinarily high operational tempo of 27 to 30 funerals a day – performed their jobs with dedication and to a high professional standard, they also found them hampered by dysfunctional management, the lack of established policy and procedures, and an overall unhealthy organizational climate," McHugh said. "That ends today."

McHugh ordered the investigation following allegations of lost accountability of some graves and poor record keeping, among other issues. The Army released its investigation findings at a Pentagon news conference today. The investigation followed an earlier inspection and management review ordered by McHugh's predecessor, former Army Secretary Pete Geren, which McHugh expanded shortly after taking office. Those findings were also released today.

"Both reports pointed to the lack of established policies and procedures, a failure to automate records, and long-term systemic problems," he said.

As part of a series of corrective measures, McHugh established the newly-created position of Executive Director (ED) of the Army National Cemeteries Program, whose duties will include oversight of cemetery management, reviewing and updating policies and procedures, and implementing corrective measures outlined in the investigation and inspection reports. McHugh appointed Kathryn Condon to serve as ED. Condon previously served as the senior civilian for Army Materiel Command - overseeing one of the largest commands in the Army, with more than 60,000 employees in 149 locations worldwide.

Among a host of other changes and initiatives, McHugh is establishing an Army National Cemeteries Advisory Commission, which will include officials from outside the Army to regularly review policies and procedures, and provide additional guidance and support. McHugh has enlisted the services of former senators and Army veterans Max Cleland and Bob Dole to begin that effort.

Dole represented Kansas in the Senate for three decades, and in 2007 co-chaired a commission investigating deficiencies at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. In addition to serving as senator from Georgia, Cleland is a former head of the Department of Veterans Affairs and currently serves as secretary of the American Battle Monuments Commission, which oversees American burial grounds in foreign countries, including the American cemetery and memorial in Normandy, France. Both are decorated Army veterans.

ANC Superintendent John Metzler Jr., will remain in his post supporting funerals and ceremonial activities until July 2 - when he retires from federal service. However, Metzler will now report directly to the new executive director, and has received a letter of reprimand from McHugh based on the IG's findings.

At McHugh's request, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki is providing a detailee while the Army conducts a nationwide search for a new superintendent.

Patrick K. Hallinan, director of the Office of Field Programs for the VA, who is responsible for the development and implementation of National Cemetery Policy, will be temporarily reassigned to ANC as its superintendent. Hallinan has more than 31 years of cemetery service, and currently has oversight responsibilities for 130 national cemeteries.

The cemetery's deputy superintendent was placed on administrative leave pending a disciplinary review in the wake of the findings.

"Arlington National Cemetery is the place where valor rests, a place of reverence and respect for all Americans," McHugh said. "The Army recognizes its sacred responsibility to ensure America's confidence in the operation of its most hallowed ground, and to the heroes for whom this is their final resting place. I believe these changes will do just that."

In addition to Arlington National Cemetery, the Army National Cemeteries Program includes the Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery in Washington, DC.

The IG's report and other documents are located on the Web at

http://www.army.mil/arlington.