mr. condon, first of all, it's exciting, and i hope people do hear the good news that you can access records now by the internet, as a person who has a direct family member there. it means a lot to me. as a citizen of our country, and, also, as a member of congress. in your report you have identified that more than 57,000 grave discrepancies still have to be resolved. i'd like to focus on what the most serious are, and particularly 14,000 critical discrepancies. what is the correction timeline and funding required to address the critical deficiencies? >> mr. chairman, the critical -- in our accountability what we have done is, we started the process with business rules. in one of our business rules to match the photo that the old guard took of each and every grave site and ditch was that, we had to match that with at least two records. most of those 14,000 discrepancies which are really not discrepancies per se, means we didn't have two records. we only had one record. we're finding from the civil war we only had one document, which is the document in a handwritten transxribd law book. blaut

condon, i recognize the hard work you and mr. callaghan have done to turn around the cemetery and know you could not have done it alone. there are probably a number of people that should be acknowledged for their efforts that cannot all be recognized here today. but i do believe that there is still more to be done, to ensure that we maintain and build upon the achievements that have been made and to ensure above all accountability of those who are involved in the missteps at arlington national cemetery. ms. martin and mr. lepore, i'm interested in learning from the gao, what issues and concerns should the committee be aware of as the army works to develop a strategic plan for arlington. what signs, if any, should we be tracking as the army moves forward on its efforts to continue to improve arlington? and i would also like to hear your thoughts on what concerns we should be aware of if there is an effort to transfer the management of arlington from the army to the veterans administration. general vangiel, i would be interested in

katherine condon, executive director of the national cemeteries -- i'm a national cemetery program and mr. patrick callanan and superintendent of redington cemetery. as i look at the issues that still must need to be addressed, these do appear to rise above all the rest. first, what is the correct reduction in funding that will be required to resolve the nearly 14,000 critical deficiencies cited in the arlington grave accountability effort? and second, should the department of veterans affairs kit the cemetery of the soldiers home here in columbia? before introducer witnesses, let me recognize intern representative susan davis, the ranking member of the military personnel committee and chairman rob portman of the oversight and investigations subcommittee and mr. jim cooper, ranking member of the oversight and investigations subcommittee for any opening remarks they might wish to make. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i appreciate the hearing today. general mcallen. i understand he recently took over jenna macauley, the army inspector general. i look for t.i. and the government accountability o

condoned this operation. if that were the case, it would seem to me that a good witness to talk to is mr. melmer. mr. nelson, i should say, the then acting atf director. mr. cummings asked the chairman to bring kenneth nelson as a witness. he said he is willing to come as a witness. in fact, he even testified or talked and interviewed with staff for both parties. they asked him if he ever approved gun walking. he said he had not. they asked if he was ever briefed about gun walking, he said no. he was aware if the senior justice department officials were ever thorsed gun walking. he said no. surely if the details of operation fast and furious were approved at the highest levels of justice as has been judged -- or accused. then mr. nelson would have known about it. this, is however, what he said in that interview. i quote, i don't believe i had knowledge of the specific tactics used in fast and furious until the facts started to be disclosed in the media. so mr. melson said he never justified gun walking. he wasn't aware of it in the fast and furious operation. and he never briefed the attorney general

condoned this operation. if that were the case it would seem to be a good witness for us to talk to be mr. mehlman. mr. nelson i should say who was then acting atf director. mr. cummings has asked the chairman to bring in as a witness. mr. nelson indicate he is willing to come as a witness but, in fact, he even testified, or talk and was interviewed in the close interview with staff from both parties. they asked him if he ever approves gunwalking. he said he had not. they asked if it had been briefed about gunwalking. he said no. they asked if he was aware if the senior justice department officials have never been authorized and gunwalking, he said no. surely, if the details of operation passengers were approved at the highest level of the department of justice, as has been accused, then mr. nelson, the driver of the atf presumably would have known about it. this is however what he said in the interview and i quote, i don't believe i acknowledge of the specific tactics used in fast and furious into the facts begin to be disclosed in the media. so mr. nelson to the coming he never authorize gunwalking.