First-ever Army-Marine Corps mortuary affairs exercise serves to strengthen working relationship

By T. Anthony BellJuly 23, 2014

Dignified transfer
1 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers of Fort Lee's 54th Quartermaster Company and Marine Reservists from the Personnel Retrieval and Processing Company practice the dignified transfer of remains during a practical exercise July 18. The task was part of a two-week exercise held... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Guiding vehicles
2 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Spc. Stephanie Reyes guides a vehicle of Marines from a field site after the conclusion of a Mobile Integrated Remains Collection System practical exercise July 18 at mortuary affairs training site. The training was part of a two-week joint field ex... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Heading out
3 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Staff Sgt. Tyler Green, 54th Quartermaster Company, 82nd Special Troops Battalion, 82nd Sustainment Brigade, guides vehicles July 18 during a two-week joint mortuary affairs field exercise with the Marine Reserve's Personnel Retrieval Processing Comp... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Increasing skills
4 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers of the 54th Quartermaster Company and Marine Reservists from the Personnel Retrieval and Processing Company practice the dignified transfer of remains during a practical exercise July 18. More than 100 Soldiers and 150 Marines participated ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT LEE, Va. (July 23, 2014) -- A working relationship between the Army and Marine Corps to prepare for "the most sacred" duty in the military has been strengthened as a result of a historic two-week field exercise here.

The event, which took place at the Fort Lee range complex and concludes tomorrow, is a ground-breaking mortuary affairs endeavor that served to exchange operational procedures between Fort Lee's 54th Quartermaster Company and the Marine Corps Reserve's Personnel Retrieval and Processing Company, based in Smyrna, Ga., and Washington, D.C. Both are part of only a handful of Department of Defense units that specialize in handling and processing remains.

Lt. Col. David E. Vandevander, commander, 82nd Special Troops Battalion, 82nd Sustainment Brigade, the 54th's higher headquarters based at Fort Bragg, N.C., said the exercise is the fruition of something that has always been discussed but never executed.

"Strategically, we're always talked about working in a joint environment, but we don't always follow through with the training that backs it up," he said during a visit to the field sites Friday, "so I am extremely excited and pleased to see all the cooperation take place here."

Elements of the Army and Marine Corps have never participated in a joint mortuary affairs exercise, but the two often work together in a theater of operation as they currently do in Southwest Asia. Soldiers and Marines receive training at the Quartermaster School's Joint Mortuary Affairs Center here.

"These folks grow up in the schoolhouse together," said Vandevander, "so, they've already established relationships. Mortuary affairs is a small community; they do a very important job, the most sacred job in the military, so I think to further the relationship that starts at the schoolhouse is absolutely critical."

During the first week of training, the 54th took the lead in providing classroom instruction on a number of subjects to include operation of the Mobile Integrated Remains Collection System, a refrigerated remains processing facility designed for expeditionary conditions. On Friday, the units participated in a scenario-based practical exercise at JMAC's mortuary affairs training areas using the MIRCS along with role-players and oppositional forces.

"The intent is to have fully integrated, joint platoons -- Marines and Soldiers -- working together to process human remains and conduct dignified transfers," said 2nd Lt. Gavin P. Keisling, 54th QM Co. "We're working together and learning from each other in a shared experience."

Both units gained a better understanding of each others' tactical doctrine as well as their mortuary affairs-specific procedures during the exercise, said Staff Sgt. Tyler Green, noncommissioned officer in charge of the MIRCS training exercise.

"It was challenging at first because a lot of our Soldiers don't understand the Marine Corps' tactics, techniques and procedures," he said as Soldiers and Marines in field gear milled about and the sounds of trucks and generators buzzed. "Overall, I believe that the training has been great -- being integrated with another service and fellow mortuary affairs unit because it strengthens the idea that when we are in theater, we're all on the same side, we're all fighting for the same reason, and our ultimate mission is to bring back our fallen heroes and give their families closure."

Master Sgt. Leon Pilgrim, the PRPC capabilities manager standing among a group of Soldiers and Marines who had completed a mission, said the MIRCS exercise was revealing because the facility itself is not in the Marine Corps' equipment inventory.

"We don't have it as of yet," he said, noting there is an effort to get it implemented, "but we're getting training on it so by the time we do get the system, we'll hopefully be proficient on it."

In addition to the operational aspects of the MIRCS, the participants honed skills used in the transference of remains. The mostly lower-enlisted Soldiers and Marines practiced draping the U.S. flag over the casket, neatly tucking the edges under, lifting the casket in unison and loading it onto simulated aircraft. The sight of a U.S. flag draped over a casket at a field exercise site is not a common one but training with it reiterates the importance of preparation in the strongest sense, said the 54th's Spc. Luis Jurado, who guided participants through the procedure. He recently returned from a deployment to Kandahar, Afghanistan.

"They'll be ready," he said of those who had not been downrange, "and they'll know what to expect; how to fill out paperwork; and how to conduct dignified transfers when it comes to it."

During the second week of training, the Marine PRPC hosted the instruction, focusing its efforts on teaching Soldiers its tactics, techniques and procedures. The exercise also included joint physical training, museum tours and a scheduled trip to the Richmond city morgue that served as a refresher to military occupational specialty training.

Capt. Kwansah E. Ackah, commander of the 54th, said during the first week of training the event as a whole was more than worth the coordination effort, despite a few challenges and doubts the exercise could be executed to standard.

"We have another week to go," he said, "but if I had to judge the exercise just based on this week, it has been a complete success. Initially, when I started talking to the PRPC commander about it, there were some thoughts that it might be something too big for us to accomplish. In my mind as a logistician, however, my job is to bring calm to the chaos. That's what we do, so I said 'Let's figure it out' … I have smart leaders who are both dedicated and driven, and we all figured it out and made it work."

The success of the exercise has generated much buzz and enthusiasm for the future, said Ackah.

"I've talked to the lowest ranking to the highest and everyone is excited," he said. "We're looking to make this an annual event."