Transportation of Remains of Casualties Dying in a Theater of Combat Operations

1.  THE NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR 
FISCAL YEAR 2007, (NDAA FY07), SECTION 562, TITLED: TRANSPORTATION 
OF REMAINS OF CASUALTIES DYING IN A THEATER OF COMBAT OPERATIONS 
WILL BE IMPLEMENTED BY DOD ON 1 JANUARY 2007.  THE REQUIREMENTS OF 
SECTION 562 PERTAIN TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES WHO DIE IN A 
COMBAT THEATER OF OPERATIONS AND WHOSE REMAINS ARE RETURNED THROUGH 
THE MORTUARY FACILITY AT DOVER AIR FORCE BASE (DAFB).  SECTION 562
STATES:
A.  WHEN TRANSPORTATION REQUIRES MOVEMENT BY AIR, SUCH TRANSPORTATION
WILL BE MADE BY MILITARY AIRCRAFT OR MILITARY-CONTRACTED AIRCRAFT.  
THE PRIMARY MISSION OF THE AIRCRAFT MUST BE THE TRANSPORTATION OF THE
REMAINS.  ONLY UPON WRITTEN DIRECTION FROM THE PERSON AUTHORIZED TO
DIRECT DISPOSITION (PADD) CAN CIVILIAN AIRCRAFT BE USED TO TRANSPORT
REMAINS.
B.  ALL REMAINS WILL BE CONTINUOUSLY ESCORTED FROM DAFB TO THE FINAL
DESTINATION BY A UNIFORMED MEMBER OF THE ARMED FORCES.
C.  A UNIFORMED HONOR GUARD DETAIL WILL MEET THE REMAINS AND SHALL
PARTICIPATE IN THE TRANSFER OF REMAINS FROM THE AIRCRAFT WHEN AIRPORT
AND AIRLINE SECURITY REQUIREMENTS PERMIT, BY CARRYING THE FLAG DRAPED
REMAINS TO A HEARSE OR OTHER FORM OF GROUND TRANSPORTATION.
2.  THE CASUALTY ASSISTANCE CALLS OFFICER (CACO) WILL ASSIST THE PADD 
IN COMPLETING AN ELECTION FOR AIR TRANSPORTATION OF REMAINS FROM A 
THEATER OF COMBAT OPERATIONS FORM DESIGNATED AS CJMAB FORM 4.
THE CJMAB FORM 4 DOCUMENTS THE EXPRESSED DESIRES OF THE PADD.  THE 
CJMAB FORM 4 WILL ONLY BE USED FOR ELIGIBLE DEATHS PROCESSED THROUGH 
THE MORTUARY LOCATED AT DAFB.  THE PADD WILL SELECT EITHER OPTION ONE 
OR TWO.  THE CACO WILL ENCOURAGE THE PADD TO ALSO SELECT OPTION
THREE SINCE IT WORKS IN CONCERT WITH OPTIONS ONE AND TWO.   THE
THREE OPTIONS ARE:
A.  OPTION ONE:  TRANSPORT THE REMAINS BY MILITARY OR 
MILITARY-CONTRACTED AIR TO AN AIRPORT OR MILITARY AIR BASE.
B.  OPTION TWO:  TRANSPORT THE REMAINS BY COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT TO AN
AIRPORT OR MILITARY AIR BASE.
C.  OPTION THREE:  AUTHORIZATION FOR THE MILITARY TO USE OTHER MODES 
OF TRANSPORTATION IN THE EVENT THE SELECTED MODE OF TRANSPORTATION IS
DELAYED DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND THE MILITARY SERVICES CONTROL.
3.  THE MARINE CORPS LIAISON LOCATED AT THE DAFB MORTUARY WILL 
PROVIDE CACOS WITH THE CJMAB FORM 4 ALONG WITH DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS. 
THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS WILL BE PERFORMED WHEN OPTION ONE (THE DEFAULT 
OPTION) IS SELECTED BY THE PADD:
A.  UNLESS UNAVAILABLE, ALL ELIGIBLE REMAINS BEING TRANSPORTED BY AIR
FROM DAFB WILL BE TRANSPORTED IN FALCON 20 AIRCRAFT OWNED AND OPERATED
BY KALITTA CHARTERS.  PICTURES OF THE FALCON 20 ARE EASILY FOUND ON 
THE INTERNET.  THE FALCON 20 AIRCRAFT HAVE BEEN CONFIGURED TO CARRY A
MAXIMUM OF TWO CASKETS AND TWO ESCORTS.  THE AIRCRAFT DOOR IS LOCATED 
ON THE PORT SIDE TOWARDS THE FRONT THIRD OF THE AIRCRAFT.  THERE ARE NO
EXTRA SEATS ON THE AIRCRAFT.  BEING SMALLER THAN MOST COMMERCIAL
PASSENGER AIRCRAFT WILL ALLOW REMAINS TO BE DELIVERED TO SMALLER
REGIONAL AIRPORTS.  KALITTA CHARTERS WILL PROVIDE A HYDRAULIC UNIT THAT
CAN BE USED TO ASSIST WITH THE OFF-LOADING OF THE CASKET.  IN THE EVENT
THE CONTRACTED AIRCRAFT IS UNAVAILABLE, TRANSCOM WILL TASK ONE OF THE
MILITARY SERVICES TO PROVIDE A MILITARY AIRCRAFT TO MOVE THE REMAINS.
B.  PER THE REFERENCE, MCB QUANTICO WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE ESCORTS
FROM UNITS IN THE NATIONAL CAPITOL REGION REGARDLESS OF THE MODE OF
TRANSPORTATION SELECTED BY THE PADD.  MCB QUANTICOS PROXIMITY TO DOVER
GREATLY ENHANCES OUR CAPABILITY TO RESPOND QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY TO
THE ESCORT MISSION.  AS STATED ABOVE, THERE IS ONLY ROOM FOR TWO 
CASKETS AND TWO ESCORTS ON THE FALCON 20 AIRCRAFT.
UNIT REPRESENTATIVES SENT TO DOVER BY THE DECEASED MARINES UNIT WILL
NOT BE ALLOWED TO TRAVEL WITH THE CASKETNO EXCEPTIONS.  UNIT
REPRESENTATIVES SHOULD ONLY BE SENT TO INDIVIDUAL MEMORIAL/FUNERAL
SERVICES, NOT DAFB.  ESCORTS WILL BE PROVIDED COMMERCIAL AIRLINE 
TICKETS FOR THEIR RETURN TRAVEL.
C.  UPON ARRIVAL AT THE DESTINATION AIRPORT, AN HONOR GUARD DETAIL,
SUFFICIENT IN SIZE TO CARRY THE FLAG DRAPED CASKET FROM THE AIRCRAFT TO
THE HEARSE, OR OTHER GROUND TRANSPORTATION, WILL MEET THE ESCORTED
REMAINS.  AT A MINIMUM, THE UNIFORM FOR THE HONOR GUARD WILL BE SERVICE
ALPHAS.  NORMALLY, THE HONOR GUARD WILL MEET THE AIRCRAFT AT THE 
AIRPORT FIXED BASED OPERATIONS (FBO), EXECUTIVE/CHARTER/CARGO AIRCRAFT 
AREA. ONCE THE FLIGHT HAS BEEN SCHEDULED, THE CACO WILL BE PROVIDED 
DETAILS ON THE ARRIVAL AREA BY THE MARINE LIAISON AT DAFB.  FOR 
PLANNING PURPOSES, CARRYING THE REMAINS TO AWAITING GROUND 
TRANSPORTATION WILL REQUIRE SUFFICIENT PERSONNEL TO LIFT AND CARRY 
400-550 LBS.  RECOMMEND HONOR GUARD CONSIST OF SIX CAPABLE UNIFORMED 
PERSONNEL.  THE ESCORT SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AN AVAILABLE ASSET BY 
THE HONOR GUARD.  THE SHIPPING CONTAINER AND AIR TRAY WILL BE RETURNED 
TO DAFB BY KALITTA CHARTERS. HONOR GUARD PERSONNEL MAY BE REQUIRED TO 
ASSIST KALITTA PERSONNEL WITH THE LOADING OF THE HYDRAULIC UNIT ONCE 
THE CASKET HAS BEEN TRANSFERRED TO GROUND TRANSPORTATION.  A POWERPOINT 
PRESENTATION DEMONSTRATING THE MOVEMENT OF REMAINS FROM KALITTA AIRCRAFT 
TO GROUND TRANSPORTATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE CASUALTY ASSISTANCE WEBSITE 
(WWW.MANPOWER.USMC.MIL, SELECT CASUALTY ASSISTANCE).
4.  IF THE PADD SELECTS OPTION TWO (CONSIDERED AS AN EXCEPTION TO
POLICY) ON THE CJMAB FORM 4, THE REMAINS WILL BE TRANSPORTED BY CIVILIAN
AIRCRAFT.  THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS WILL BE PERFORMED WHEN OPTION TWO IS
SELECTED BY THE PADD:
A.  THE CACO WILL BE PROVIDED DETAILS ON THE ARRIVAL OF THE ESCORTED
REMAINS BY THE MARINE LIAISON LOCATED AT THE DAFB MORTUARY.  THE CACO
WILL BE REQUIRED TO COORDINATE WITH AIRLINE AND AIRPORT SECURITY
PERSONNEL TO DETERMINE IN ADVANCE WHAT WILL BE PERMITTED.
WHEN REMAINS ARE MOVED BY A COMMERCIAL AIRLINE, THE REMAINS WILL BE
OFF-LOADED AT THE MAIN AIRLINE TERMINAL.  AS IS NOW, THE CHALLENGE WILL
BE TO OBTAIN PERMISSION FOR THE HONOR GUARD TO ACCESS THE AIRPORT TARMAC
SO THAT THE FLAG DRAPED CASKET CAN BE CARRIED TO AWAITING GROUND
TRANSPORTATION.  ACCESS TO THE AIRPORT TARMAC BY THE HONOR GUARD WILL BE
DIFFERENT AT EVERY LOCATION.
B.  WHEN PERMITTED BY AIRLINE/AIRPORT SECURITY PERSONNEL, THE HONOR
GUARD WILL REMOVE THE SHIPPING CONTAINER, EXPOSING THE FLAG DRAPED
CASKET WHILE ON THE PLANE.
5.  THE CACO WILL ENCOURAGE THE PADD TO ALWAYS SELECT OPTION THREE IN
ADDITION TO EITHER OPTION ONE OR TWO.  OPTION THREE AUTHORIZES THE
MILITARY SERVICES TO USE OTHER MODES OF TRANSPORTATION WHEN
CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND THE SERVICES CONTROL (MECHANICAL, WEATHER) ARISE
THAT COULD DELAY ARRIVAL OF THE REMAINS.
6.  THE CACO/ESCORT IS REQUIRED TO REPORT BACK TO THE MARINE LIAISON AT
DAFB ANY PROBLEMS OR DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED.