Press Releases

Today, Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-Texas), the Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, delivered the following opening remarks, as prepared, at the start of the subcommittee’s hearing on a review of the Army’s progress to resume Caisson Platoon operations at Arlington National Cemetery as well as the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) National Cemetery Administration funeral operations across the country:

Good morning, everyone.

Today we’re taking a closer look at Arlington National Cemetery and the Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration.

We will examine the Department of the Army’s indefinite suspension of military funerals with caisson support at Arlington.

In 2022, caisson-pulling military horses were dying because Army failed to provide them with proper food, veterinary care, stables, and pastureland. It became clear to us that Army’s Caisson Platoon – known as the “Old Guard” – was no longer capable of caring for its military horses.

So, in May 2023, Army suspended all Caisson Platoon operations. Yet – without any outside equestrian guidance – Army spent millions trying to resume operations.

Army paid an instructor whose methods caused more harm than good, resulting in injured horses instead of improvements. Adding to this, Army purchased horses that were unfit for caisson duty. This level of carelessness is unacceptable.

In December 2023, seven months after Army suspended Caisson Platoon operations, Army finally sought guidance from outside equestrian experts. Only then did Army realize that it needed to change course, leading to indefinite suspension of military funerals with caisson support.
Army has given us no estimated date for when they will resume.

Right after Veterans Day, it is important for us to remember the families of servicemembers and veterans who are still waiting for their loved ones to be properly laid to rest at Arlington.

For over 200 years our country has found a way to give our nation’s veterans the proper horse-drawn burial they have earned. It’s past time for the Army to make this a priority again.

As a veteran who was raised on a horse ranch in Texas, this issue is personal to me.

The Army must do everything possible to stop wasting money and resume sustainable Caisson Platoon operations to provide our fallen brothers and sisters with the military funeral they have earned.

I look forward to hearing from Major General Trevor J. Bredenkamp today about Army’s plans to make things right.

We will also hear from Admiral Jon Kreitz about what Army needs to do to resume sustainable Caisson Platoon operations.

To ensure that Congress and the American people get answers from Army, Admiral Kreitz will testify on our second panel.

During our second panel today, we will take a closer look at VA National Cemetery Administration’s progress towards its goal of providing 95 percent of all veterans access to a reasonable burial option within 75 miles of their home.

NCA oversees VA’s 155 National Cemeteries located in 42 states and Puerto Rico. And in its Veterans Cemetery Grants Program, NCA awards grants to States, Tribes, and Territories for the establishment, or expansion, of state, tribal, and territory veterans’ cemeteries.

NCA generally does a good job of identifying where new cemeteries, and expansions of existing cemeteries, are most needed, as well as maintaining its national cemeteries. NCA also does a good job of holding States, tribes, and territories accountable for quality problems at grant-funded cemeteries.

Our goal today is to discuss where we need to fill gaps to ensure every veteran nationwide has a final resting place.

For example, there have been delays and increased costs associated with establishing new VA national cemeteries, in part because VA has not adopted cost estimate best practices.

Also, VA is not fully transparent with Congress about their plans for national cemetery expansion projects - many of which cost over $30 million dollars. This impedes our oversight duties.

And some grant-funded cemeteries have difficulty meeting performance standards due to inadequate funding and training.

I look forward to today’s discussion with our second panel of witnesses on how VA can best serve our nation’s veterans and their families.

Both Army and VA have a sacred duty to enshrine fallen servicemembers and veterans.

I look forward to discussing how each agency can better fulfil that duty.

With that, I yield to Ranking Member Pappas.