Department of the Army Taps VA to Help Serve Our Nation's Veterans... Army Secretary John McHugh Requests VA Secretary Shinseki to Detail Senior VA Executive to Arlington National Cemetery

WASHINGTON (June 10, 2010) - Today, at the request of the Army Secretary John McHugh, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced that Patrick K. Hallinan, a over 31-year employee of VA's National Cemetery Administration (NCA), is being detailed to the Army to assist in the management of Arlington National Cemetery.

"VA and the Army share a common goal of honoring all who have served and sacrificed for their country," Shinseki said.

"We look forward to assisting the Army in serving all Members of the Active and Reserve Components, eligible Veterans and their families with the utmost dignity, respect, and compassion."

Army Secretary John McHugh today announced a series of management and oversight changes in the Army National Cemeteries Program, which includes both Arlington and the Soldiers' and Airmens' Home National Cemetery in Washington, DC.

On the retirement of current Arlington Superintendant Jack Metzler, VA's Hallinan will serve temporarily as Superintendant while the Army conducts a nationwide search for their permanent replacement.

About Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington National Cemetery is administered by the Department of the Army. Since May of 1864, Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, has served as a cemetery, a memorial, a national monument to America's war heroes. Over 300,000 Veterans have been interred on these hallowed grounds since the Civil War and, on average; the cemetery buries 27 Veterans every day.

About VA's National Cemetery Administration VA's National Cemetery Administration (NCA) honors Veterans with final resting places in national shrines and with lasting tributes that commemorate their service to our nation.

VA operates 131 national cemeteries in 39 states and Puerto Rico and 33 soldiers' lots and monument sites.  More than 3 million Americans, including Veterans of every war and conflict - from the Revolutionary War to the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan - are buried in VA's national cemeteries on more than 19,000 acres.

Over the past 6 years NCA has received a customer service rating of 95 from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).  ACSI is an economic indicator that measures the satisfaction of consumers across the U.S. economy <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_system> .

It is produced by the American Customer Satisfaction Index LLC, a private company based in Ann Arbor <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Arbor,_Michigan> , Michigan <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan> .

Additional information on VA burial benefits can be obtained from national cemetery offices, from the Internet at www.cem.va.gov  or by calling VA regional offices toll-free at 800-827-1000.  To make burial arrangements at the time of need at any VA national cemetery, call the national cemetery scheduling office at 800-535-1117.