Abilene Veterans Cemetery leads the way with automated mowing technology

ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – Stoic, sharp and perfect. These are the exact parallels one would hope to find at a cemetery that houses our nation’s Veterans, and one bit of new tech is helping to keep the edge for the Texas Veterans Cemeteries’ well-disciplined landscape.

A completely automated platform mower is now responsible for at least 10 acres of mowing every week at the Veterans Cemetery, and Grounds Operations Manager for the Texas Veterans Cemetery, Kenny Kussatz, explained how this device works and how it has helped maintain the high-quality grounds standards.

“Map out the area. You can then program it to follow the pattern and how fast. It goes from like two to six miles per hour. While it’s mowing, I could be doing something else, but I’m still out here with it. Weed eating or doing some other kind of maintenance. That’s taking a guy from standing on a mower for 45 minutes, and he can be doing something else,” said Kussatz.

Division Manager for the Texas Veteran Cemetery, Brad Kerr, explained how the Abilene cemetery serves as a proving ground for improvement projects for all of the Veteran cemeteries in Texas. 

“Any little changes in procedures, we’re usually the first ones to test it out. A lot of times for testing, we’re just that right-sized and we’re just busy enough that we can take a few minutes a week and do some of these different tests that we like to do, all in the name of efficiency and providing a better service for our Veterans and their families,” said Kerr.

Kerr also spoke about how this new device is a welcome addition for the cemetery grounds crews, who have easily adapted to the new technology.

“This just fits right into their wheelhouse. Even down to the controller of it. I think it’s a console game controller for something. They have leaned into it, and I don’t know any of them who don’t enjoy taking it out and using it,” said Kerr.

Leadership at the Abilene Texas State Veterans Cemetery added that due to the success of the automated mowing program at their facility, all Texas Veterans’ cemeteries will soon have these automated mowers as well.