Dover AFB dumps remains of hundreds US Armed Forces members into landfill.

[SirFozzie]

This is about as angry as I can remember being.

BBC News - Dover Air Base dumped 274 US troop remains at landfill (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-16081240)

The Pentagon is investigating after this gross mismanagement was reported (and the whistleblowers are apparently facing retaliation).

The story says that the commander in charge of Dover AFB, a Colonel, and two civilians had been disciplined, but... ALMOST THREE HUNDRED PEOPLE who died in the service of our country had their ashes thrown in a landfill (there could be more, it's hard for them to come up with an exact count, apparently)?

That doesn't call for "discipline", that calls for.. well, dishonorable discharge for the military, and I'd say jail if there was anything to charge them with other then being morally inept.

The men and women who died for our country (whatever you think about the wars, they served our nation) deserve so much better then this disrespect.

[CraigSca]

My Dad actually volunteers there under the USO program to welcome troops back from their tours (as well as working with the families of the deceased). Really, there are no words for this - I am absolutely speechless.

[Ksyrup]

I don't understand the purpose. Was it being lazy? Saving money?

[SirFozzie]

They had been requested by families to lay the bodies to rest (and that's the reason they are giving for not figuring out exactly how many.. that the families have specifically requested not to know more information), and apparently this was the quickest easiest way.. Things changed in 08 when Dover was found to use a mortuary that also creamated animals (in different chambers).

But apparently, it was, incinerate them, label it as "Treated medical waste" along with the other medical byproducts of the mortuary's output, and hire a company to ship it to a landfill.

Sick to my stomach.

At least now in such cases, the ashes of those the government handles (as well as the remains of those unidentified) are laid to rest in the sea.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/air-force-dumped-ashes-of-more-troops-in-va-landfill-than-acknowledged/2011/12/07/gIQAT8ybdO_story.html (free registration required)

[SackAttack]

I don't understand the purpose. Was it being lazy? Saving money?

That perhaps, but I think the last paragraph is also important. It happened when media coverage was banned.

It may have been a combination of "lazy and thought they could get away with it because who would ever know?"

[panerd]

Good thing we took special care to bury that piece of shit Bin Laden's ashes at sea.

[SackAttack]

Good thing we took special care to bury that piece of shit Bin Laden's ashes at sea.

False equivalence. Different groups of people involved at different times, with different circumstances at play.

That doesn't mean that what happened here was right - the furthest thing from it.

Being angry at the mistreatment of fallen American soldiers is absolutely justified.

Taking exception to how bin Laden's remains were disposed of? I think it was handled properly - I see the goal as one of not giving terrorist groups any kind of a shrine to martyrdom, nor additional material to use to try to radicalize additional Muslim youth to the cause - but it's certainly an issue for reasonable debate, and not necessarily a cut-and-dried issue.

But comparing the two is, as I said, a case of false equivalence, unless there's a paper trail that leads directly to the same group of individuals being responsible for both incidents.

My understanding is that bin Laden's body was disposed of at sea as the SEAL team returned from Pakistan. That suggests that the people dumping American soldiers in landfills probably weren't involved.

Be angry at the right people, yanno?

[Dutch]

FWIW,

The men and women of "Dover AFB" were not involved, so this is an unfair statement. From what I've read, 3 disorganized idiots "AT DOVER AFB" that were in charge of the mortuary did this.

[spleen1015]

FWIW,

The men and women of "Dover AFB" were not involved, so this is an unfair statement. From what I've read, 3 disorganized idiots "AT DOVER AFB" that were in charge of the mortuary did this.

+1

No hating on Dover AFB. I was born there.

Hate the fuckers responsible, but not the entire place.

[JonInMiddleGA]

False equivalence. Different groups of people involved at different times, with different circumstances at play. That doesn't mean that what happened here was right - the furthest thing from it.

... I see the goal as one of not giving terrorist groups any kind of a shrine to martyrdom

This, +1

[JS19]

Curious if this news has any connection to an email my brother received a few days ago. My brother, a Marine, was asked in an email if he would be willing to volunteer for an opportunity to work in the mortuary Dover. Responsibilities include preparing uniforms for casualties from combat, brief the escorts for combat casualties and assist the family in the transfer process. He has no experience whatsoever in this field, he works on airplanes. According to him, the email was sent to all Sgt's and SSgt's within the unit, and I'm assuming it was probably sent Marine Corps wide. I'm in no way whatsoever trying to defend what they did down there, but after talking about this incident with my brother, apparently they are shorthanded at Dover when it comes to this.

[JediKooter]

I thought it wasn't bodies, but, body parts from things like amputations. Isn't it common practice at civilian hospitals to incinerate body parts and dispose of them with medical waste? If it's bodies, this thing is completely mind boggling and stupid and people should be fired and then have to go to those land fills and hand pick every last speck they can find.

[SirFozzie]

it's bodies.

[gstelmack]

it's bodies.

Source? From your own article:

But the Washington Post reported on Thursday that Air Force data between 2004-08 showed 976 fragments from 274 military personnel had been taken to the dump after being cremated.
Another 1,762 remains - which did not undergo DNA testing because they were too badly damaged - were disposed of in the same manner, according to the newspaper.

Basically IED goes off, you can't match hands to bodies, it's those hands being discussed from what I'm reading, not the actual bodies. Where are you reading different?