General. This Appropriation Request provides $20,265,000 for the administration, operation, maintenance and supervision of 24 burial grounds and 29 monuments, memorials, markers and offices around the world, the same as the current year. Increases of $352,000 in salaries and personnel benefits and $25,000 in operational travel, permanent changes of station and home leave are offset by reductions of $16,000 in transportation of supplies, materials, equipment and spare parts; $5,000 in rent communications and utilities; $1,000 in printing and reproduction; $38,000 in supplies, materials and spare parts; $119,000 in the replacement of worn-out and uneconomically repairable vehicles and equipment; and, $198,000 in maintenance, repairs and improvements.

Administration and U.S. Memorials. $1,662,000 are requested for the Washington, DC, office, $60,000 more than the current year, to administer operations worldwide and supervise directly three burial grounds, one in Panama, one in Mexico and one in the Philippines. Also under the direct supervision of the Washington, DC, Office are ten monuments and memorials, five in the United States, one in Northern Marianas, one in the Philippines, one in the Solomon Islands, one in New Guinea, and one in Cuba. Increases are $42,000 in salaries and personnel benefits; $10,000 in operational, Commissioner and PCS travel; $4,000 in the transportation of household goods for those on permanent changes of station; $3,000 in communications and utilities; and $1,000 in repairs and improvements.

European Cemeteries and Memorials. $14,127,000 are requested for the European Region to administer, supervise, operate and maintain 18 burial grounds and 14 separate monuments, memorials, markers and one office, in France, England, Belgium, Luxembourg and The Netherlands, $225,000 less than the current year. Increases of $169,000 in salaries and personnel benefits and $13,000 in transportation of personnel are more than offset by decreases of $4,000 in transportation of supplies, materials, equipment and household goods for those on permanent changes of station; $28,000 in rent, communications, utilities and State Department shared administrative support; $162,000 in maintenance and repairs; $13,000 in the replacement of supplies, materials and spare parts utilized in the care and maintenance of facilities; $153,000 in the replacement of worn-out or uneconomically repairable vehicles and equipment; and $47,000 in improvements to facilities.

Mediterranean Cemeteries and Memorials. $3,178,000 are requested for the Mediterranean Region to administer, supervise, operate and maintain three burial sites, two monuments/markers and one office, $120,000 more than the current year. These installations are located in Italy, North Africa and Gibraltar (a British dependency on the southern coast of Spain). Increases are $80,000 in personnel salaries and benefits; $14,000 in rent, communications, utilities and State Department Shared Administrative Support; $1,000 in printing and reproduction; $16,000 in maintenance and repairs; $1,000 in replenishment of supplies, materials and spare parts; and $24,000 in the replacement of worn-out and uneconomically repairable vehicles and equipment. Offsetting the increases in part is a decrease of $16,000 in the transportation of supplies, materials and spare parts, vehicles and equipment.

Asian Cemeteries and Memorials. $891,000 are requested for the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial to administer, operate and maintain one burial ground and one separate memorial $27,000 more than the current year. Increases are $48,000 for personnel salaries and benefits; $6,000 for rent, communications, utilities and Department of State Shared Administrative Support; and $3,000 for the replacement of vehicles and equipment. Offsetting the increases in part are decreases of $2,000 in printing and reproduction; $4,000 in maintenance and repairs; and $24,000 in the replenishment of supplies, materials and spare parts.

Latin Cemeteries and Memorials.

$407,000 are requested for the operation and maintenance of two burial grounds and 1 monument in Panama, Mexico and Cuba, $18,000 more than the current year. Increases of $13,000 in salaries and personnel benefits; $2,000 in transportation of personnel for home leave; $1,000 in maintenance and repairs and $7,000 in equipment purchases are offset in part by decreases of $2,000 in the replenishment of supplies, materials and spare parts and $3,000 in vehicles and equipment purchases.

AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENTS COMMISSION CHANGES BY OBJECT CLASSIFICATION

This appropriation request provides $20,265,000 for the administration, operation, maintenance, and supervision for 24 burial grounds and 29 separate monuments, memorials, markers and offices around the world, the same amount as the current year.

11. Personnel Compensation. $11,941,000 are requested for the salaries of 5 military, 54 U.S. civilian and 317 foreign national employees indigenous to the foreign countries where our installations are located, $348,000 more than the curent year. Included in the request are ingrade increases, promotions and cost of living increases for ABMC foreign national employees which are decreed by the foreign governments where our installations are located.

12. Personnel Benefits. $4,563,000 are requested for personnel benefits, $74,000 more than the current year. These benefits or allowances are authorized by U.S. federal law, the laws of the countries where our installations are located and the treaty agreements between the host countries and the U.S. Federal Government. They include U.S. and foreign national (FN) social security; GS medicare taxes; GS and FN life insurance; GS education allowances; GS, military, and FN retirement; GS quarters allowances; GS post allowances; GS and FN health insurance; GS and military temporary lodging allowances, GS thrift savings programs; GS and FN COLAS; bonuses; and FN family allowances. included are anticipated cost of living benefit increases for FN employees.

Also

13. Benefits for Former Personnel. $43,000 are requested for severance pay of FN employees in Italy and reimbursement of the Department of State for currency exchange losses incurred by the Department in its payment of FNs on U.S. Civil Service retirement, $70,000 less than the curent year.

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21. Travel and Transportation of Persons. $302,000 are requested for the travel and transportation of ABMC's U.S. and FN employees for operational purposes, its U.S. employees

and dependents travelling on permanent change of stations, its U.S. student dependents travelling to or from school, and its Presidentially appointed Commissioners, charged with oversight of ABMC operations, $25,000 more than the current year.

22. Transportation of Things. $107,000 are requested for transportation of supplies, materials, spare parts, vehicles and equipment utilized in the operation, maintenance and repair of ABMC facilities and for the transportation of household goods in connection with permanent changes of station, $16,000 less than the current year.

23. Rent, Communications and Utilities. $952,000 are requested for rental of quarters, storage and garage space; postal, telephone, and fax services; water, gas and electricity; and Department of State Shared Administrative Support, $5,000 less than the current year.

24. Printing and Reproduction. $38,000 are requested for printing and reproduction of of reports, photographs, general information pamphlets, cemetery booklets, lithographs of the cemetery memorials for presentation to the members of the families of those interred in them or commemorated by name on their Tablets of the Missing, $1,000 less than the previous year. Three memorials in the United States also commemorate a number of the Missing in Action on their Tablets of the Missing.