Accession Number:

ADA280046

Title:

Joint Casualty Assistance and Mortuary Affairs Programs; Broken but Still Working

Descriptive Note:

Study project rept.

Corporate Author:

ARMY WAR COLL CARLISLE BARRACKS PA

Personal Author(s):

• Wagner, Philip R.

Report Date:

1994-04-22

Pagination or Media Count:

34.0

Abstract:

Although the Services Casualty Assistance and Mortuary Affairs Programs get the job done, they are not without recurring problems, and the Unified CINCs or Joint Task Force Commander have little guidance on how to handle these extremely sensitive programs, whether in peacetime or contingency operations. While there have been some actions taken recently to improve the doctrine and procedures for Joint Casualty Assistance and Mortuary Affairs Programs, much remains to be done. The Department of Defense should pursue the following goals in developing a Joint Casualty Assistance and Mortuary Affairs Program establish a Defense Casualty Assistance and Mortuary Affairs Agency publish a DoD Directive to formally establish policy, clearly delineating the linkages among the casualty assistance, mortuary affairs, and medical systems both in peacetime and during the transition to contingency operations or war develop an integrated tracking system among the casualty assistance, mortuary affairs, and medical support systems develop an oversight program to ensure coordinated development and implementation of the new DoD Directive for Joint Mortuary Affairs clarify the Armed Forces Medical Examiners role in remains identification and provide detailed guidance regarding autopsies and institutionalize doctrine to use port-of-entry mortuaries as processing sites.

Descriptors:

• *TASK FORCES
• *EXPOSURE(PHYSIOLOGY)
• *DEATH
• MILITARY PERSONNEL
• DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
• JOBS
• POLICIES
• PEACETIME
• PROCESSING
• STRESS(PSYCHOLOGY)
• SITES
• TRACKING
• IDENTIFICATION
• OPERATION
• CASUALTIES
• GUIDANCE
• TRANSITIONS
• WARTIME
• LINKAGES
• AUTOPSY
• DOCTRINE

Subject Categories:

• Personnel Management and Labor Relations
• Anatomy and Physiology
• Medicine and Medical Research

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE