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1 [1] (Updated October 15, 2024)

handle is hein.crs/goveqyx0001 and id is 1 raw text is: * Congressionol Research Service Informing the Iegisl9tive debate since 1914 Updated October 15, 2024 Defense Primer: Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) is a military cemetery administered by the Office of Army Cemeteries. Located in Arlington County, Virginia, the cemetery was created in 1864 during the Civil War from 200 acres of plantation land that once belonged to George Washington Parke Custis, step-grandson of the first U.S. President. Custis bequeathed his estate to his daughter who had married U.S. Army 1s Lt. Robert E. Lee in 1831. At the start of the Civil War in 1861, the Custis Lee family fled the property. The Union Army then occupied and fortified the estate to help defend the nation's capital. In 1863, the Freedman's Village was established on the southern portion of the property to assist former slaves transitioning to freedom by providing shelter, medical care, education, and training. The first military burial took place on May 13, 1864, for Private William Henry Christman, a Union soldier from Pennsylvania. Two Table I. Current Eligibility Requirements for Burial and unknown Union soldiers were later interred on May 15, 1864, the first of nearly 5,000 unknown soldiers now resting in ANC. On June 15, 1864, the War Department officially designated the burial site as a military cemetery. By the end of the Civil War, the grounds contained the graves of 6,000 Union soldiers. On March 3, 1883, the U.S. government purchased the property for $150,000 after years of legal wrangling with the Custis Lee family. Currently, there are approximately 400,000 veterans and their eligible dependents buried at Arlington Cemetery. Current lI ity Eligibility criteria for burial at Arlington is in accordance with the Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.), Title 32, Part 553, Sections 12 and 13. See Table 1. Inurnment at Arlington National Cemetery Inurnment in Columbarium Court In-ground Burial Servicemember with Honorable Discharge or Niche Wall (Casket or Urn) Dies on Title 10 federal active duty (other than for training) Yes Yes Dies on active duty for training only under Title 10 Yes No Veteran - retired from active duty; reserve retirees receiving retirement pay Yes Yes Veteran - at least one day active duty other than for training Yes No Veteran - received Medal of Honor (MoH), Distinguished Service Cross (Air Yes Yes Force Cross, or Navy Cross), Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, or Purple Heart Any member of a Reserve component of the Armed Forces, and any member Yes No of the Army National Guard or the Air National Guard, whose death occurs under honorable conditions while on active duty for training or performing full-time service Any former prisoner of war (POW) who, while a prisoner of war, served Yes Yes honorably in the active military, naval, or air service; whose last period of service terminated honorably; and who died on or after November 30, 1993 Source: Arlington National Cemetery Establishing Eligibility at https://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Funerals/Scheduling-a-Funeral/Establishing- Eligibility and in accordance with 32 C.F.R. Part 553, Sections 12 and 13. Proposed Changes to Elgblty Due to capacity concerns, in 2020, the Army proposed changes to the eligibility for in-ground burial and above- ground inurnment at Arlington Cemetery. The proposed rule, published in the Federal Register, would limit eligibility to certain groups, and was issued in response to requirements in Section 598 of P.L. 115-232, the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY2019. The Army indicated that the changes would allow the cemetery to continue to function as an active burial ground well into the future, defined as 150 years. Without the new eligibility restrictions, Arlington projects it would reach capacity for new interment by 2041, or by the mid- 2060s with the eventual completion of its Southern Expansion project. As of 2022, fewer than 75,000 burial spaces remained within the current cemetery. Public comments on the proposed rule closed November 16, 2020. After considering public comments, the Army plans to publish a final rule. According to the Army, revised eligibility at ANC will not affect previously scheduled burial services. In addition, the proposed revisions will not affect veterans' burial benefits or veteran eligibility at

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