May 26, 2026

VA Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Sam Brown says the National Cemetery Administration’s mission comes down to one thing: making sure veterans and their families receive the care, dignity, and memorialization they deserve for eternity.

During a recent appearance on the Fed Gov Today Podcast, Brown discusses how the NCA continues to improve customer experience, modernize aging technology systems, and increase awareness of burial benefits available to veterans and their families. Throughout the conversation, Brown emphasizes that the work is deeply personal for the workforce that serves America’s national cemeteries.

“We have one chance to get that right,” Brown says, referring to the responsibility of caring for veterans and supporting grieving families. More than 60% of the NCA workforce are veterans themselves, he explains, creating a strong sense of connection and pride across the organization.

Brown says customer experience remains a top priority because of the emotional nature of the mission. Families trust the NCA during some of the most difficult moments of their lives, and employees feel a responsibility to deliver compassionate and professional service every day.

That focus becomes even more visible during Memorial Day events across the country. Brown notes the NCA oversees 157 national cemeteries and recently supported more than 120 services over Memorial Day weekend alone. But he explains the mission does not begin and end with one holiday.

“Every day is Memorial Day for us,” Brown says.

The NCA also continues to work on increasing awareness of burial benefits. Brown says he was surprised to learn only 18% of eligible veterans choose to be interred in national cemeteries. While he acknowledges families make deeply personal decisions, he worries many veterans simply do not know they qualify for the benefit.

To address that challenge, the NCA conducts outreach events with veterans service organizations and VA medical centers to educate veterans about eligibility. Brown also highlights the importance of the VA’s pre-need eligibility determination process, which allows veterans to confirm their eligibility in advance.

Brown says he completed the process himself and received confirmation within hours because he was already connected to the VA system. He explains the process can remove stress and uncertainty for families later on, especially during times of grief.

Access to national cemeteries also remains a major priority. Brown says the NCA’s goal is to provide burial access within 75 miles for 95% of eligible veterans. The agency currently reaches just over 94% through partnerships with state, territorial, and tribal veteran cemeteries.

At the same time, Brown says the NCA continues to evaluate how to best expand access while remaining responsible stewards of taxpayer resources.

Another major focus is modernization. Brown explains the NCA still operates at least one technology system that is more than 30 years old and runs on MS-DOS. To modernize operations, the NCA is partnering with Arlington National Cemetery and the Department of the Army on a shared technology platform.

Brown says the collaboration represents a model other agencies could follow because it reduces costs, improves interoperability, and eliminates the need to connect outdated legacy systems with newer technologies.

“We are literally working together right now to utilize the same system,” Brown says.

Brown also encourages veterans to explore the Veteran Legacy Memorial, a digital platform that allows families to honor and preserve memories of loved ones. The site currently includes more than 10 million digitally memorialized veterans and gives eligible veterans the ability to begin building their own memorial pages for future generations.