United States Army Regulations (AR-290-5)

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4.0 INSPECTIONS

4.1 General.
Arlington and Soldiers’ Home National Cemeteries will be inspected as prescribed in this chapter or by special instructions from the Director, Personal Affairs, TAGCEN.

4.2 Inspections.

Except as otherwise provided in paragraph 4-1, inspections of Arlington and Soldiers’ Home National Cemeteries will be conducted as follows:

a. Combined technical, operating, administrative, and inspector general inspections-biennially by representatives of the US Army Military District of Washington.
b. Technical and operating inspections– oil alternate years by representatives of the Personal Affairs Directorate.
c. Special inspections–
(1) By representatives of the Personal affairs Directorate-as required.
(2) By the cemetery superintendent-as frequently as necessary.
d. Construction and landscape planting–
(1) By a technical representative of the Director, Personal Affairs, for the acceptance of completed construction or landscape planting projects.
(2) By representatives of the Corps of Engineers and the Personal Affairs Directorate for construction performed or procured by the Corps of Engineers.
e. Inspector General inspections–
(1) By the Commanding General, US Army Military District of Washington– biennially (para 2-4f, AR 20-1).
(2) All inspector general inspection reports will be routed as follows:
(a) FROM: Inspecting Office.
(b) THRU: Superintendent.
(c) TO: HQDA (DAAG-PEBI), WASH D C 20314.
(3) Information copies of unsatisfactory reports and reports containing matters that may cause unfavorable impact upon the Department of the Army will be forwarded to the Inspector General, US Army Military District of Washington, WASH D.C. 20319, and the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) from the Personal Affairs Directorate.
(4) The Personal Affairs Directorate will be responsible for final corrective action. Report of corrective action will be forwarded through channels to the activity which conducted the inspection. Following review, the original copy of the report and all actions pertaining thereto will be returned to Personal Affairs Directorate for file at the office of record.

4.3 Scope of technical, operating, and administrative inspections.

The inspections will include, but will not necessarily be limited to, evaluations for compliance and effectiveness in each of the following areas:

4.3.A Administration.

a. Administration. This area covers–
(1) Prompt preparation of reports and records of interments, as well as verification with the next of kin concerning inscription data.
(2) Prompt, accurate, and tactful replies to correspondence.
(3) Records maintenance of correspondence and historical data, as prescribed in pertinent regulations.
(4) Realistic, substantiated estimates of budgetary requirements submitted by the superintendent.
(5) Prompt inspection for damage and proper inscription when headstones are received.
(6) Compliance with prescribed procurement and property accountability regulations and procedures.
(7) Training of personnel in cemetery policies, methods, and procedures and followup by supervisors to insure that optimum efficiency is maintained.
(8) Effectiveness of recruitment of procedures for which the superintendents may be responsible with no undue loss of man-years in filling positions.
(9) The qualifications and effectiveness of the superintendent in performing his duties, with attention to his appearance, personality, and personal ambition.
(10) Tile number and efficiency of cemetery personnel on duty, number of authorized positions to be filled, and adequacy of the funds provided.
(11) Compliance with regulations on the erection of private monuments.
(12) Satisfactory communication services to and from the cemetery and the costs of these services.
(13) Knowledge of cemetery management by superintendents and other cemetery personnel in relation to their positions.
(14) Estimated number of visitors to the cemetery annually and the basis for these estimates.
(15) Correction of deficiencies reported as a result of official inspections.
(16) Maintaining copies of each report of inspection and copies of correspondence relating to the action taken. Previous inspection data will be made available to the current inspector.
(17) Authority of superintendent for the administration and management of the funding and programming aspects of his position.

4.3.B Operations.

b. Operations. This area covers–

(1) The nature of working relationships between cemetery personnel and funeral directors, local veterans’ and civic organizations, Federal agencies, and others who transact business or have an inherent interest in the cemetery.
(2) Determination that the superintendent and other concerned personnel understand and comply with regulations and procedures relating to–
(a) Eligibility for interment and grave-site reservations.
(b) Scheduling, arranging, and burying individuals and groups.
(c) Methods of laying out, opening, and backfilling graves.
(d) Preparing and erecting temporary markers and locating and setting permanent headstones or markers.
(3) The adequacy and condition of casket-lowering devices, grass greens, and funeral tents; grave excavating, backfilling, and other burial equipment; and the feasibility of prodding additional labor-saving devices and equipment.
(4) Existence of unusual conditions which require special consideration from the standpoint of resources (e.g., difficulty in preparing graves because of rock, hard grounds, a high water table, sand, extreme cold, or other adverse conditions).
(5) Depth of graves for single and multiple burials.

4.3.C Maintenance.

c. Maintenance. This area covers–

(1) The condition of buildings and structures, including: large monuments, foundations, structural framing, floors, roofing, sheet metal, and miscellaneous metal work; exterior and interior painting; water, plumbing, heating. electricity, sewers, and storm drainage; and fire and safety precautions.
(2) The adequacy and condition of the cemetery enclosure; roads, walls, curbs, cutters, and drains; and the existence of erosion or soil problems.
(3) The condition of lawns, trees, and shrubs; and the adequacy of measures used to–
(a) Feed, trim, cable, prune, brace, and splice.
(b) Prevent damage and disease.
(c) Control insects and pests.
(d) Insure adequate landscape planting.
(e) Request technical advice or staff assistance from the Personal Affairs Directorate on landscape planting or horticultural problems, as needed.
(4) The appearance of the lodge area to in-sure adequate lawn space and appropriate screening from public view of such items as clotheslines, play areas, and other features not directly related to cemetery affairs.
(5) The effectiveness of policing the cemetery for removal of trash, dead flowers, and unauthorized flower receptacles.
(6) The adequacy and neatness of storage areas and facilities.
(7) Whether permanent flower containers are installed in accordance with TM 10-287.
(8) The alignment and cleanliness of head-stones, markers, and private monuments and the legibility of inscriptions on them; and the necessity for repairs or replacement.
(9) The condition of undeveloped areas and of any area outside the cemetery enclosure for which the cemetery has maintenance responsibility, and the need for action by the superintendent with officials for maintaining adjacent areas outside the cemetery for which the Government is responsible.
(10) The adequacy and condition of approach roads.
(11) Proper utilization of cemetery lands.
(12) Appropriate marking of group burial lots with prescribed corner markers.

4.4 Results of inspections.

a. The results of inspections will be submitted in writing to HQDA (DAAG-PEZ-A), SMASH DC 20314, within 30 workdays after the inspection itinerary has been completed. A rating of “Satisfactory” or “Unsatisfactory” will be assigned to indicate the evaluation of the overall condition of the cemetery.
b. Information concerning the correction of any deficiencies which require action will be submitted in writing to HQDA (DAAG-PEM), WASH DC 20314, through channels, within 22 workdays after the prescribed data have been received. If action has not been completed by the time this information is due, the reasons will be stated and an estimated date of completion will be furnished.

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