Just Plain Ruff Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 Just how do you lose a body part, let alone lose the body parts of at least two service members? http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/09/us/senior-air-force-officials-disciplined-over-handling-of-human-remains.html?_r=1&ref=world Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard B the EMT Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 In a kind of defence of the mortuary personnel, I mention that the NYC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is still going through body fragments, 10 years later, from the attack and collapse of the World Trade Center. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Plain Ruff Posted November 9, 2011 Author Share Posted November 9, 2011 But they haven't lost body parts have they? In defense of the mortuary personnel I can see where they could lose some parts. What with some soldiers coming back in ziplock bags and having no true identifying marks. It did say that some parts may have fallen in with others but that's just careless if you ask me. If you drop the part, pick it up right? But I do give them a hearty thank you for this extremely depressing and also uplifiting job that they have to do. I'm not really busting their chops like it sounds like, I'm just asking how do you lose body parts? Seems like it should not ever happen but it does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
island emt Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 But they haven't lost body parts have they? In defense of the mortuary personnel I can see where they could lose some parts. What with some soldiers coming back in ziplock bags and having no true identifying marks. It did say that some parts may have fallen in with others but that's just careless if you ask me. If you drop the part, pick it up right? But I do give them a hearty thank you for this extremely depressing and also uplifiting job that they have to do. I'm not really busting their chops like it sounds like, I'm just asking how do you lose body parts? Seems like it should not ever happen but it does. Ruff: the alleged missing pieces of remains are a collection of fragments retrieved from the crash site of a military jet fighter aircraft that impacted the earth at high speed and exploded. Not sure how many of you have ever been to such a crash site, but you sift and bag anything that may have been human tissue to be sent home for identification. They are not talking about loosing an arm or torso here ,just possible small fragments that might have been part of a human being at one time. The graves registration folks do an incredible job under the most gruesome conditions possible. Many ID's are made strictly by DNA testing of minute pieces of tissue only. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DwayneEMTP Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 ...It did say that some parts may have fallen in with others but that's just careless if you ask me. If you drop the part, pick it up right?... My experience isn't vast by any means, but I do have a little bit of seeing the dead handled in a war zone..and I can tell you this, 'careless' is never a word I've seen fit during any part of the process. It's an incredibly macabre and dehumanizing job that requires constant attention and respect to what is often human dust particles. But I've never seen a sign that anyone, at any stage forgets that those particles are dust of warriors lost doing what they felt was right and/or honorable. Not bagging on you Ruffster...Just giving perspective... Dwayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Plain Ruff Posted November 10, 2011 Author Share Posted November 10, 2011 Yes I do agree with you and my tone was poor. I have nothing but respect for the job that they do. There's a lot more in the article that is concerning and maybe the good thing about this whole deal is that it will provide better processes and steps in identifying and making the changes that will help the group run better. Dwane, I have seen the remnants of both a helicopter crash and a small jet plane crash. MOst of the victims were in pieces. Not a good thing and the coroner in my opinion had a terribly difficult job. Again,nothing but respect for those guys and my tone in the original post was poor. Could have said it better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DwayneEMTP Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 Yeah Ruffles, I posted without reading the article first. I tried to go back and edit it to include that I saw your point but for some reason it wouldn't let me edit. I think your tone was fine when the article is considered. It's a hell of a job, and I can see where given enough time it would be tough to stay on point. It's good that it is being taken care of, but I've no hate for those that may have fallen below acceptable standards while doing this. It's easy for me to stand outside and say that they should be honored to handle the remains of our fallen, but a whole different thing when forced to do it constantly, while being invisible to praise. Dwayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
island emt Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 Please don't take my comments as disrespect in any way for our brothers in arms who gave their all defending this country. I'm a vet and have been through the process of recovering "remains" of brothers lost. War is not like the car crash or trauma pt's we deal with on a regular basis. Many of the fatalities of todays wars are serious blast induced high explosive in nature and destructive in outcome. Recovery is not an easy or pleasant task. We [ our military] do the very best to bring home all of our brothers remains that they can. They are handled with the greatest of love and respect by their" brothers" assigned this task. It is not a task for the squeamish or weak kneed feel good types. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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