Photo by Roland Balik
An Army carry team places a transfer case containing a Fallen servicemember’s remains into a vehicle during a “dignified transfer” at Dover Air Force Base, Del. The vehicle will transport the case to the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Center, where all U.S. servicemembers killed in combat are prepared for burial.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Jimmy Toro slides ribbons onto a rack, then clips the rack onto a brand-new dress uniform, the finishing touch on a lengthy process to ensure the proper medals and decorations are in place.
He smiles as he admires his handiwork, lifting the jacket to ensure each medal and insignia is perfectly spaced and no wrinkles have invaded the carefully pressed surface.
Toro has put an inordinate amount of time and effort into this uniform, even though it’s not one he’ll ever wear. This uniform is for a servicemember who has been killed in combat.
Toro works in the uniform shop of the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Center at Dover Air Force Base, Del., and it’s his job to prepare the uniforms that will clothe Soldiers’ remains. His job, he said, is a labor of love.
“Soldiers take pride in their uniforms, and we ensure that pride is sustained, even after they pass away,” he said.
Toro’s focus is on uniforms for Soldiers, but Navy, Air Force and Marine representatives also are on hand to prepare uniforms for their service colleagues. All U.S. servicemembers who die in support of a combat operation will come through the operations center at Dover AFB, where their remains are prepared for final disposition.
Marine Corps Cpl. Adam Knebler said it’s tough to describe the satisfaction he gets from doing this job.
“I find my work very rewarding,” he said while sliding a belt buckle onto a strap. He is building several uniforms for Marines who had arrived the night before. “This is probably one of the most important things we can do.”
Knebler is surrounded by hundreds of uniforms and walls covered with neat rows of new ribbons and insignia from every service branch. The readily available stock helps the staff turn around the uniforms quickly. Their task must be completed by the time the remains are ready for departure home, which can take from 24 hours up to several days.
The staff’s job starts when the remains first arrive at the mortuary. It’s their job to obtain measurements, then have the uniform custom-tailored on base to ensure the perfect fit. Most families request burial in the service’s dress uniform, but the staff also has accommodated other requests.
“We’ve purchased civilian attire, such as a suit or even jeans and a shirt,” Toro said. “We’ll do our best to fulfill any request.”
For uniform requests, which make up the bulk of their work, their next step is to gather ribbons and medals; even those that have been posthumously awarded will make it onto the uniform. If needed, they will special-order a ribbon or medal, such as a state-specific one for a National Guard member, and have it shipped overnight. The name tag is the finishing touch, with a machine on hand to make them on the spot.
Once complete, the uniform will undergo a quality check. “If it’s not right, if the sleeve is too long, for instance, we’ll start over,” Toro said. Another quality check will take place after modifications, and then a third at shipping.
These extensive efforts all are aimed at making sure the uniform is perfect for the families.
“Families are going through a tough enough time. We want them to have the least stress and worry possible,” said Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Richard Mitchell. When they see the uniform, he added, “we want the families to see perfection; we want the uniform to shine.”
The Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Center has three divisions that work in tandem with each other.
Port mortuary division
The port mortuary is tasked with identifying, medically examining and preparing Fallen members for transport to their final destination.
Mortuary affairs division
While the port mortuary serves military members from all branches, the mortuary affairs division is a bit more service-specific. This division is responsible for the Air Force’s mortuary affairs on a global scale.
The division is tasked with the care, service and support of the deceased and their families. This includes training mortuary affairs officers and technicians assigned to Air Force bases worldwide.
The division also oversees the Center for Families of the Fallen, a new, 6,000-square-foot facility at Dover AFB that offers a waiting area for families that have traveled to Dover to witness the dignified transfer of a fallen loved one. The center features sitting areas designed with privacy in mind; a stocked and fully equipped kitchen; meditation room; nursery and even a room where teens can watch TV or play a video game.
Operations division
While the missions of the port mortuary and mortuary affairs divisions are more visible in nature, the operations division takes on more of a behind-the-scenes role. But, without this division, the other two would be unable to carry on, said Trevor Dean, deputy to the center’s commander.
This division is tasked with the dignified transfer of remains from the aircraft to the transfer vehicle, a solemn event that’s conducted in honor of the fallen servicemember. A dignified transfer is conducted for every servicemember who died in a contingency operation overseas, Dean explained, and also is enacted for civilians involved in a mass fatality or for those attached to other federal agencies.
This is a compilation of two stories by Wilson.
