A1 - SOW Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Program.pdf

STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Program

April 3, 2026

1. Background and Purpose

The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) maintains American military cemeteries and memorials around the world and is committed to honoring United States servicemembers with accurate commemoration. In support of the Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration

Program, ABMC seeks contractor support to research and identify American-Jewish servicemembers interred in American military cemeteries whose headstones or grave markers incorrectly represent their religion and heritage, and to identify surviving next of kin to support potential corrective actions and outreach.

2. Scope and Objectives

Scope

The Contractor shall conduct historical, genealogical, and documentary research to:

(1) identify American-Jewish servicemembers buried at American military cemeteries with grave markers that incorrectly reflect their religion and heritage, and

(2) identify and locate surviving next of kin for those servicemembers, consistent with applicable law, regulation, and ABMC policies.

Important limitations and boundaries (consistent with this SOW):

• The Contractor shall not contact next of kin unless explicitly authorized in writing by the

Contracting Officer (CO) or Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR).

• The Contractor’s role is limited to research, documentation, and reporting. Any decisions regarding marker corrections and any engagement with families or stakeholders remain with

ABMC.

• The Contractor shall not issue public statements, respond to media inquiries, or represent

ABMC with respect to matters relating to the contract without prior written authorization from the CO.

Objectives

• Develop and execute a research methodology to identify likely and confirmed cases of misidentified religion/heritage on grave markers.

• Produce evidence-based case files for each recommended correction, including source citations and confidence assessment.

• Identify, verify, and document surviving next of kin or appropriate family representatives, with contact information obtained through lawful means.

• Provide ABMC with completed case files to support change of headstone suitable for

ABMC review, decision-making, and potential engagement with families and stakeholders.

• Ensure sensitive handling of personal data and respectful treatment of the deceased and their families.

3. Period of Performance

The contract is anticipated to be a Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) contract. The period of performance is anticipated to be one (1) base year, with (4) option years (as shown in proposed CLIN structure below) that may be exercised at the Government’s discretion and subject to the availability of funds.

CLIN Description Period of Performance

0001 Base Year Research and ID Services 12 Months

0002 Travel

1001 Research and ID Services 12 Months

1002 Travel

2001 Research and ID Services 12 Months

2002 Travel

3001 Research and ID Services 12 Months

3002 Travel

4001 Research and ID Services 12 Months

4002 Travel

4. Definitions and Abbreviations

• ABMC: American Battle Monuments Commission.

• American military cemetery: A cemetery administered by ABMC or otherwise identified by ABMC in this contract as within scope.

• Case: A servicemember record for which the Contractor has developed evidence indicating the decedent was American-Jewish and the marker religion/heritage is inconsistent with available records.

• Next of kin (NOK): Surviving family member(s) or legally recognized representative(s) as defined by ABMC for purposes of outreach and potential marker correction consideration.

• Source: A primary or secondary document used to support findings (e.g., military personnel records, casualty records, burial records, cemetery interment records, vital records, synagogue/community records, published rosters, newspaper obituaries, naturalization records).

5. Requirements (Tasks)

5.1 Task 1: Project Initiation and Research Plan

Within 30 calendar days after award, the Contractor shall submit a research plan for ABMC approval that describes the methodology, sources, tools, staffing, quality controls, schedule, and risk management approach for the work. The plan shall include proposed criteria for identifying likely or confirmed American-Jewish servicemembers and for determining that a grave marker is inconsistent with the evidence.

5.2 Task 2: Data Collection and Source Research

The Contractor shall collect and analyze relevant source materials to establish identity, service, burial location, and religion/heritage indicators. Research may include, as appropriate, Federal records (e.g., National Archives holdings), ABMC cemetery/interment records, Department of Defense casualty systems where accessible, state and local vital records, genealogical repositories, community and religious archives, and reputable published sources. The Contractor shall maintain full citations and copies/record references sufficient for ABMC to independently verify findings.

5.3 Task 3: Case Identification, Analysis, and Evidence Packages

The Contractor shall identify candidate cases and develop an evidence package (“Case File”) for each.

Each Case File shall, at minimum, include:

• Servicemember identification: full name, service branch, service number (if known), dates of birth/death, unit (if known), conflict/era.

• Burial information: cemetery name, plot/row/grave (or equivalent), current marker inscription details relevant to religion/heritage.

• Summary of evidence supporting American-Jewish identity (primary sources preferred), with citations.

• Summary of evidence supporting that the current marker is inconsistent with the evidence

(e.g., incorrect religious emblem/wording), with citations.

• Confidence assessment (e.g., High/Medium/Low) and rationale.

• Known sensitivities/flags (e.g., conflicting records, ambiguous indicators, name changes), and recommended ABMC review steps.

5.4 Task 4: Identification of Surviving Next of Kin

For each Case File, the Contractor shall perform genealogical research to identify surviving next of kin and/or legally recognized family representatives and provide ABMC with a documented kinship pathway (family tree narrative or equivalent) supported by source citations. The Contractor shall use lawful, ethical means for locating contact information. The Contractor shall not contact next of kin unless explicitly authorized in writing by the CO or COR.

5.5 Task 5: Coordination, Status Reporting, and Stakeholder Sensitivity

The Contractor shall participate in recurring status meetings (virtual unless otherwise directed) and provide updates on progress, issues, and risks. The Contractor shall coordinate with ABMC-designated points of contact regarding access to ABMC records, cemetery information, and prioritization. All work products and communications shall be prepared with appropriate respect and sensitivity given the nature of the subject matter.

6. Deliverables and Schedule

The Contractor shall provide the following deliverables under CLIN 0001:

Deliverable Number Description Due Format

D1 Research Plan:

Methodology, sources, criteria, QC approach, schedule, risk management, data handling plan

Within 30 days after award

Word/PDF

D2 Monthly Status Report:

Work completed, cases opened/closed, upcoming work, issues/risks, staffing changes

Monthly Word/PDF

D3 Case Files (Draft):

Evidence packages for

ABMC review;

submitted on a rolling basis in batches of 3-5

First batch by Day 90 Structured template + supporting files

D4 NOK Research

Packages: Kinship pathway documentation and available contact information; no outreach unless authorized

Due with corresponding Case

File

Structured template

D5 Final Report and

Dataset: Summary of methods, results, limitations, recommendations; final consolidated list of cases with citations and confidence levels

Due at each end of period of performance

Word/PDF + spreadsheet.

7. Data Management, Privacy, and Records Handling

The Contractor shall protect personally identifiable information (PII) and sensitive research data. The

Contractor shall collect, store, transmit, and dispose of information in accordance with the contract, applicable Federal privacy requirements, and ABMC instructions. The Contractor shall minimize PII collection to what is necessary to identify and locate next of kin and shall maintain documentation of data sources and permissions/terms of use. Any suspected or confirmed data incident shall be reported to the CO/COR within 48 hours of discovery.

8. Place of Performance and Travel

Work may be performed remotely. Travel for the purposes of research must be authorized in writing by the CO. The Contractor shall obtain advance written approval for any travel and shall comply with

Federal Travel Regulations as applicable to the contract type. Travel will be reimbursed in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulations.

9. Government-Furnished Information (GFI) and Contractor-Furnished Items

GFI. ABMC may provide guides and publications, as needed.

Contractor-Furnished Items. The Contractor shall provide all labor, tools, subscriptions (unless otherwise stated), and research materials necessary to perform the work, including any templates or databases used to manage case work.

10. Staffing, Qualifications, and Demonstrated Capability

ABMC intends to prioritize award to an organization with demonstrated capability and expertise in conducting research and identification activities comparable to the scope of this SOW. The Contractor shall provide staff with the following minimum qualifications (or equivalent):

• Documented experience in historical research involving U.S. military service records and burial/interment documentation.

• Genealogical research expertise, including kinship verification and use of primary-source vital records.

• Demonstrated familiarity with Jewish genealogy and/or records relevant to identifying

Jewish heritage in U.S. historical contexts (e.g., naming conventions, community records), and sensitivity to related cultural considerations.

• Proven ability to develop evidence-based findings with complete citations, auditability, and repeatable methodology.

• Experience managing sensitive information (including PII) and implementing documented quality assurance.

• Ability to deliver documented research findings and narrative reports suitable for

Government review.

11. Quality Control (QC)

The Contractor shall implement a documented QC process to ensure accuracy, completeness, and traceability of research findings. QC shall include, at minimum: (1) standardized templates for Case

Files and NOK packages; (2) source citation checks; (3) second-review (peer review) of High-confidence cases prior to submission; and (4) periodic internal audits of a statistically meaningful sample of cases, with corrective action tracking.

12. Government Review and Acceptance

ABMC will review deliverables for compliance with this SOW, completeness, and evidentiary support. Deliverables will be accepted when they: (1) are submitted on time; (2) conform to approved templates and formatting; (3) include adequate citations and supporting documentation to allow independent verification; (4) clearly state assumptions, limitations, and confidence levels; and (5) comply with privacy and data handling requirements. ABMC may return deliverables for correction or clarification.

13. General Payment Schedule and Invoicing Instructions

Payment for non-travel CLINs shall be made on a firm-fixed-price (FFP) basis upon ABMC’s written acceptance of the deliverables identified for each respective CLIN, as set forth in Section 6.

Travel shall be performed under the separately priced Travel CLIN and is not subject to firm-fixed-price payment. Authorized travel expense shall be reimbursed as incurred, in accordance with the

Federal Travel Regulations, following advance written approval by the CO. All invoices must comply with FAR Part 32 and are to be submitted electronically through ABMC’s designated invoicing system.

Contractor shall be fully responsible for ensuring invoice accuracy, completeness, and compliance with the acceptance criteria of each CLIN.

Contractor shall:

1. Submit invoices electronically to the Contracting Officer (CO) and Contracting

Officer’s Representative (COR).

2. Ensure all invoice data is accurate, complete, and consistent with contract terms.

3. Include all required supporting documentation with each invoice.

4. Invoice only after ABMC accepts all deliverables as stated in Section 11.

14. Communications, Public Affairs, and Records Requests

The Contractor shall not issue public statements, respond to media inquiries, or represent ABMC with respect to performance of this contract without prior written authorization from the CO. Any inquiries related to potential marker corrections, next-of-kin outreach, or public records requests shall be referred to ABMC. The Contractor shall maintain organized records sufficient to support ABMC’s obligations for documentation and potential records requests, consistent with contract requirements.

15. Post-Award Meetings

Contractor shall coordinate with ABMC’s CO and COR to schedule and conduct a Kick-off Meeting within five (5) business days after contract award. Subsequent project review meetings shall occur at intervals mutually agreed upon by Contractor and the COR.

16. Points of Contact

Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR): Michael G. Knapp, Chief, Historical Services, knappm@abmc.gov, (703) 584-1528

Contracting Officer (CO): Michael Bachofen, Chief Acquisition Officer, bachofenm@abmc.gov mailto:knappm@abmc.gov mailto:bachofenm@abmc.gov