Joint Casualty Assistance and Mortuary Affairs Programs; Broken but Still Working
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 Examiner's role in remains identification and provide detailed guidance regarding autopsies; and institutionalize doctrine to use port-of-entry mortuaries as processing sites.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 22, 1994
- Accession Number
- ADA280046
Entities
People
- Philip R. Wagner
Organizations
- United States Army War College