Arlington Cemetery Eligibility Could Change Soon. Ask Your Lawmakers to Act

Karen Durham-Aguilera, executive director of the Office of Army Cemeteries, told lawmakers at a May 5 hearing the final regulations are expected to be approved and published in the Federal Register this fall. The proposed eligibility changes would dramatically reduce interment eligibility to those who receive a Purple Heart or are awarded a Silver Star and above, and would force many 20-year retirees to change their end-of-life plans.

MOAA’s three priorities for ANC eligibility and expansion moving forward:

Ensure 20-year retirees now eligible for ANC will not have to change end-of-life plans. They deserve full military honors at our national cemetery (the VA cemetery system does not afford full military honors) and should be grandfathered in regardless of eligibility changes.

Provide full consideration of noncontiguous expansion for ANC, which was directed by Congress in Public Law 114-158 (approved May 20, 2016) but was not fully considered. The law directed “considerations for additional expansion opportunities beyond the current boundaries of the cemetery.”

Set a clear path forward for the next national cemetery: ANC will run out of room no matter what, and designating the next cemetery that affords full military honors is a matter of national conscience. If the current eligibility rules remain, ANC would reach capacity in 2050, leaving ample time to plan for the future.