Commission consideration of a request to approve a memorial will include, but not be limited to, evaluation of following criteria:
| Criteria | Discussion |
|---|---|
| (a) How long has it been since the events to be honored took place? | Requests made during or immediately after an event are not generally subject to approval. The Commission will not approve a memorial until at least 10 years after the officially designated end of the event. It should be noted that this is the same period of time made applicable to the establishment of memorials in the District of Columbia and its environs by the Commemorative Works Act. |
| (b) How will the perpetual maintenance of the memorial be funded? | Available adequate funding or other specific arrangements addressing perpetual care are a prerequisite to any approval. |
| (c) Has the host nation consented? | Host nation approval is required. |
| (d) Is an overseas site appropriate for the proposed permanent memorial? | In many circumstances a memorial located within the United States will be more appropriate. |
| (e) Is the proposed memorial intended to honor an individual or small unit? | Memorials to elements smaller than a division or comparable unit or to an individual will not be approved unless the services of such unit or individual clearly were of such distinguished character as to warrant a separate memorial. |
| (f) Is the memorial historically accurate? | Representations should be supported by objective authorities. |
| (g) Is the proposed memorial intended to honor an organizational element of the American Armed Forces rather than soldiers from a geographical area of the United States? | As a general rule, memorials should be erected to organizations rather than to troops from a particular locality of the United States. |
| (h) Does the contribution of the element to be honored warrant a separate memorial? | The commemoration should normally be through a memorial that would have the affect of honoring all of the American Armed Forces personnel who participated rather than a select segment of the organizational participants. |