DAFI 34-160 Attachment 2 Air Force Cemetery Organization Inspection Checklist.pdf

180 DAFI34-160 3 MARCH 2022

Attachment 2

AIR FORCE CEMETERY ORGANIZATIONAL INSPECTION CHECKLIST,

STANDARDS AND MEASURES

A2.1. Operational Standards and Measures Overview. This document sets forth the Air

Force’s standards for performance in the key cemetery operational areas of interments, grounds maintenance, headstones, markers, niche covers, equipment maintenance, and facilities maintenance as adapted from the Secretary of the Army Standards and Measures. The standards and measures in this document are considered goals and requirements for the performance of key operational processes. The purpose of these standards is to provide guidance and direction for maintaining national cemeteries as the shrines they are intended to be and as defined below. Colors associated with the target measures indicate threshold for compliance. Green means fully compliant, Amber is partially complaint and Red is non-compliant according to the percentage indicated.

Table A2.1. Operational Standards and Measures.

Numbe r

Task Standard Target

Measure

Cemete ry

Results

PROCESSING APPLICATIONS AND SCHEDULING INTERMENTS

A1 Cemetery

Responsible

Official trained and on appointment letter.

CROs must be a U.S. federal government employee (civilian or military) and appointed in writing by the commander responsible for the cemetery. CROs are trained and certified by ANMC/ANC on next available course date.

Green: 100%

Red: < 100%

A2 CRO provides burial eligibility requirements to PNOK.

CROs verify PADD and/or PNOK.

CROs provide eligibility documentation requirements to

PADD and/or PNOK within one working day of interment request.

A3 CRO

determines burial eligibility.

CRO's provide eligibility determination to PNOK and/or

PADD within 5 working days of receipt of all eligibility documentation. CROs make

100% accurate eligibility determination.

Accuracy:

Red if

<100%

Timeliness:

Green: 95% within 5 days

Amber: 90-

94% within 5 days

Red: < 90% within 5 days

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A4 CRO provide responsive support to families in the

“pre-service” phase.

CRO's coordinate and conduct interment services NLT two weeks from date of eligibility determination or based on family preferences if desired at a later date.

Green: 90% within 2 weeks

Amber: 85-

89% within 2 weeks

Red: < 89% w/in 2 weeks

Coordinate and schedule military honors and funeral services for all new burial requests within specified timelines.

Casketed Remains - less than two weeks from eligibility determination.

Cremated Remains - less than 45 days from eligibility determination.

Green: 90%

Amber: 85-

89%

Red: < 85% of timelines associated with casketed or cremated remains

A5 CRO obtains death certificate and cremation certificates from families or PNOK prior to interment.

Death certificates (or other dispositive document, i.e. burial or transit permit) and cremation certificates, if applicable, are received by the CRO prior to interment. Interments do not proceed without these documents.

Families validate in writing that the urn contains 100% of the decedent’s cremated remains received from the crematorium.

Green:

100%

A6 CRO enforces chain of custody for all casketed and cremated remains.

CROs ensure verifications and documentation completed to establish and maintain an absolute positive chain of custody of all casketed or cremated remains from initial receipt to final disposition using DAF Form 593

Green:

A7 CRO enforces use of casket or urn tag and uploading of digital photographs of casket or urn tag.

CRO's ensure casket or urn tag is permanently affixed to the container prior to interment.

Digital photos of remains container and tag are uploaded in and maintained with the decedent's digital interment record.

Green: 97%

Red: < 97%

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INTERMENT OPERATIONS

B1 CROs or representatives conduct services professionally, with dignity, and compassion for the decedent and loved ones.

CROs (or designee) personalize all interactions with families

(all representatives offer condolences at first opportunity, use family name during all announcements, and personally attend burial services in cemeteries).

Green: 98%

Red: < 98%

B2 CROs provide family members and visitors telephonic and virtual feedback mechanisms to ensure continual improvement to the care and maintenance of the cemetery and support to families.

Cemetery offers feedback mechanism to PNOK and families. All negative feedback receives a response (100%

Compliance).

Green: Both a virtual and manual feedback process in place and

CRO replies to

100% of responses with negative feedback.

Amber: Only one method for feedback in place and

CRO replies to

100% of negative feedback.

Red: No feedback mechanism in place or <

100% response rate to negative feedback.

B3 Maintain a

Cremated

Remains

Storage Area

(CRSA).

Cremated remains are properly stored and marked when put in temporary storage. CRSA is a dignified, secure, locked, and climate controlled temporary storage vehicle.

CRSA actions are properly documented.

DAFI34-160 3 MARCH 2022 183

CRSA inventoried daily when cremated remains stored.

B4 CROs assume custody and verify all caskets and urns are accurately placed.

All caskets and urns are checked, properly tagged, placed in the correct gravesite undamaged and transfer of custody is captured on the DAF

Form 593. CROs ensure the geospatial location of the grave or niche using the GIS map and referencing three known burial locations, ensuring all information matches and the grave numbers of adjacent graves are annotated on the temporary marker.

Red:< 100%

B5 CROs ensure grave liners and urn liners appropriately marked.

All liners will be marked.

Gov’t provided liners must be marked on the inside and outside with the section and grave number with permanent paint or indelible ink.

B6 Gravesites are properly excavated.

Excavation of gravesites is done in accordance with local guidance - dependent on type of burial.

B7 Graves are properly closed, tamped, and groomed by the end of the duty day.

Closed gravesites are level with the surrounding terrain, tamped, squared, raked smooth, and made ready for the application of seed or sod.

Green: 100% with closing same day.

Amber: 95% with tamping, raking, and grooming.

Red: anything less than above standards.

B8 Gravesites are marked by the end of the duty day.

Daily interment or inurnment sites are marked with a correct and aligned temporary marker before the close of business each day.

184 DAFI34-160 3 MARCH 2022

B9 Government markers

(headstones or niche covers) are ordered in a timely manner.

Government markers

(headstones or niche covers) have a PNOK or PADD signed and approved inscription and are placed on order with VA not earlier than 14 days from date of interment.

GROUNDS MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS

C1 Cemetery maintains a

Cemetery

Grounds

Management

Plan (CGMP).

The CRO shall develop a

Cemetery Grounds Management

Plan (CGMP) that includes all maintenance activities and schedules for the maintenance of the cemetery grounds. The CGMP shall be reviewed and updated annually.

Green:

C2 Maintain cemetery turf to acceptable standards.

Visually prominent areas shall be generally weed free.

Green: Yes

Red: No

Visually prominent areas shall be generally free of bare areas.

Green: Yes

Red: No

Grass will be cut, as necessary, to maintain the height within one inch above the range recommended for the species of the turf according to the Cemetery

Grounds Management Plan.

Green: Yes

Red: No

C3 Cemeteries without turf have their mediums maintained to acceptable standards.

Headstones and markers with sand or gravel surrounding them are kept generally weed free.

Burial areas are kept raked and groomed.

C4 Visually prominent areas of cemeteries are maintained free of debris, e.g. leaves, fallen branches and trash.

All prominent areas are free of debris, e.g. leaves, fallen branches and trash.

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C5 Gravesites are graded properly.

The grading of gravesites blends in with adjacent grade levels with no sunken graves present.

Green: 95%

Red: < 95%

C6 Maintain trees and shrubs.

Trees and shrubs are maintained so that they enhance and do not detract from the appearance of public areas. Trees should be free from pests and insects. Dead, broken, or dying branches should be removed to prevent safety hazards.

C7 Maintain planting beds.

Cemetery planting beds are well maintained, attractive and are compatible with the geographic region.

C8 Floral policies posted in prominent areas.

CROs will post their local floral policy at prominent sites within their cemeteries to inform visitors and enable compliance.

C9 First-interment areas

"disciplined evolution."

The assignment of gravesites in first interment areas will appear as a disciplined evolution.

HEADSTONES, MARKERS AND NICHE COVER OPERATIONS

D1 Headstones and niche covers are properly inscribed.

Inscription data as verified against authoritative records is accurate and complete.

Green: 99%

Red: < 99%

D2 Marking graves with permanent markers.

Cemetery graves with government markers are permanently marked within 60 days of date of interment.

Green: >

97% within

60 days

Amber: 80-

97% within

60 days

Red = < 80% within 60 days

D3 Maintaining headstones, footstones, and niche covers.

Headstones, footstones and niche covers are clean, free of debris and objectionable accumulations.

Green: >

97%

Amber: 80-

97%

Red: < 80%

186 DAFI34-160 3 MARCH 2022

D4 Headstones are replaced as required.

Cemetery has no markers which are badly damaged, illegible, stolen or vandalized. CROs remove badly damaged, illegible, or vandalized markers, emplace a temporary marker, and reorder replacement headstones (to include replacement in kind). CRO provides evidence that new permanent markers are on order.

Green: >

91%

Amber: 80-

91%

Red: < 80%

D5 Maintaining height of headstones or markers.

Government headstones are installed and maintained to be uniform in height (24-26 inches) from the finished grade to the top of the arc and installed to ensure a pleasing top line while compensating for ground contours.

Green: 92%

Red: < 92%

D6 Maintaining the alignment of headstones and markers.

Headstones and markers are aligned laterally, transversely, and diagonally with the headstones at other graves (exceptions provided for older sections which pre-dated the transverse and diagonal alignment standard).

D7 Maintaining the plumb of headstones and markers.

Government markers and headstones are vertically and laterally plumb (90 degree perpendicular - using a level).

D8 Maintaining

Niche covers.

Government niche covers are installed to be flush with the wall, horizontally and vertically aligned with other covers and properly emplaced using rosettes or security screws.

D9 CROs ensure geospatially marked and digital photograph documentatio n of headstones, markers, and niche covers.

Headstones, markers, and niche covers are photographed and geospatial location is captured within 5 working days of installation.

Green: 96%

Red: < 96%

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EQUIPMENT

E1 Government owned cemetery equipment is maintained in good, functional condition.

Where applicable, all equipment maintenance activities and schedules will be in accordance with DAFI 23-101.

FACILITIES

F1 CROs properly maintain restrooms.

Restrooms (if applicable) are clean, functional, sanitary and appropriately supplied (e.g., soap, paper towels, hand dryer, and toilet paper).

F2 CROs maintain facilities.

Building and structures are well maintained and are acceptable for their functional use. Roads, parking lots, curbs, walks, paths, entry features and perimeter walls and fences are well maintained and are acceptable for their functional use.

F3 Cemeteries maintain working cemetery maps and gravesite layouts.

The locations of utility lines will be included within the general cemetery maps as well as gravesite layout plans.

Green:

working and

GIS maps show clear evidence of being kept current with interments and depict utility lines as required.

Red:

evidence that working and

GIS maps are not keeping pace with interments or do not adequately mark interments.

188 DAFI34-160 3 MARCH 2022

F4 Cemetery signage will contain all elements of minimum information as defined in

DDAFI 34-

501.

Commanders responsible for their cemeteries will establish visitor policies in accordance with the unique location, operational demands, and needs of their communities. Commanders will ensure all policies related to visitor activities promote proper decorum befitting the final resting places of our nation’s heroes.

F5 Cemeteries display the flag properly.

Flags will be displayed each day during the hours the gates are open. The flag will not be flown at half-staff except for funerals and as provided for in DODI 1005.6 and DAFI 34-1201, Protocol.

INTERMENT RECORD KEEPING

G1 Maintain appropriate burial records.

Digital Record contains the following accurate data:

1. Cemetery unique identifier

2. Installation code, as applicable

3. Site unique identifier, as applicable

4. Cemetery parcel identifier, as applicable

5. Cemetery name

6. Interment type

7. Grave section identifier, as applicable

8. Grave row identifier, as applicable

9. Grave headstone marker identification, as applicable

10. Court identifier, as applicable

11. Columbarium section, as applicable

12. Columbarium row, as applicable

13. Status update

14. First name

15. Middle name

16. Surname

For the representative sample of records inspected:

Green: 95%

Red: < 95%

DAFI34-160 3 MARCH 2022 189

G2 CRO obtains and maintains appropriate supporting documentatio n records.

The following documents scanned and uploaded to the accountability system of record:

1. DD Form 214 or other eligibility document

2. Death certificate or Burial

Permit of decedent

3. Cremation certificate if applicable

4. AF Form 593

5. Other service-related documents, e.g. service information, awards, promotions.

6. Photograph of casket or urn and tag

Since last inspection.

Green: 95% of interments have all required documentation

Amber: 90-

94% have all required documentation

Red: < 90% have all required documentation

SAFETY

H1 Cemeteries establish and execute appropriate cemetery safety measures.

Safety measures are in place to systemically address safety issues.

Measures related to Personal

Protective Equipment, excavation and opening or closing of graves, shielding and shoring, and handling of grave markers are addressed in cemetery standard operating procedures and adhered to in operations.