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Spc. Matt Dedonato, an avionics mechanic with 3rd Battalion, 238th General Support Aviation Battalion, Delaware Army National Guard, maps out a recovery location during unit recovery team training at Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo on Jan. 6, 2021. Unit recovery teams are responsible for recovering the remains of a Soldier in the event of their death. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Zachary M. Zippe)
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Sgt. James Clark, a signal support systems specialist with the 3rd Battalion, 238th General Support Aviation Battalion, Delaware Army National Guard, and Cpl. Tobias Driscoll, an information technology specialist with the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Brigade, Iowa Army National Guard, conduct a search of simulated remains during unit recovery team training at Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo on Jan. 6, 2021. The unit recovery team was assembled and trained by the Regional Command-East, Kosovo Force, mortuary affairs noncommissioned officer in charge. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Zachary M. Zippe)
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A unit recovery team comprised of two Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 238th General Support Aviation Battalion, Delaware Army National Guard, and two Soldiers from the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, Iowa Army National Guard, trained on mortuary affairs at Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo on Jan. 6, 2021. The team will be responsible for recovering the remains of U.S. and multinational soldiers supporting Regional Command-East, Kosovo Force, in the event of their death. The Soldiers have no prior mortuary affairs experience, but they have been fully trained to support the RC-E mission if necessary. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Zachary M. Zippe)
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Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Wells, mortuary affairs noncommissioned officer in charge, Regional Command-East, Kosovo Force, assists Spc. Matt Dedonato, an avionics mechanic with 3rd Battalion, 238th General Support Aviation Battalion, Delaware Army National Guard, during a mortuary affairs training exercise at Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo on Jan. 6, 2021. Wells guided four Soldiers designated as a unit recovery team through the exercise while evaluating their performance. It was his first time instructing this type of training in a deployed environment. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Zachary M. Zippe)
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A unit recovery team comprised of two Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 238th General Support Aviation Battalion, Delaware Army National Guard, and two Soldiers from the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, Iowa Army National Guard, prepare to lift simulated remains during a unit recovery training exercise at Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo on Jan. 6, 2021. The unit recovery team was trained and evaluated throughout the training exercise to ensure proficiency and preparedness. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Zachary M. Zippe)
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A unit recovery team comprised of two Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 238th General Support Aviation Battalion, Delaware Army National Guard, and two Soldiers from the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, Iowa Army National Guard, load simulated remains during a remains removal training exercise at Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo on Jan. 6, 2021. A primary goal for unit recovery teams is to honor the deceased by completing their duties with extreme care and efficiency. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Zachary M. Zippe)
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CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo – Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Wells, mortuary affairs noncommissioned officer in charge, Regional Command-East, Kosovo Force, trained a unit recovery team on mortuary affairs at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo on Jan. 6, 2021.
Unit recovery teams are responsible for recovering the remains of RC-E multinational and U.S. Soldiers in the event of their death.
Four Soldiers were certified to make up the team, starting with a classroom portion in the morning. In the afternoon, they conducted a scenario analysis before working as a team in a practical exercise. Wells assessed the team on proper evaluation, documentation and transportation of remains.
“We honor the Soldiers throughout the process with dignity and respect,” said Wells. “We want to make sure the Soldiers that are on these teams understand the complexity and respect the situation.”
Wells said they make the training as thorough as possible. Attention to detail is extremely important throughout the process; if anything is missed, the team would have to start over again.
Spc. Matt Dedonato, an avionics mechanic with 3rd Battalion, 238th General Aviation Support Battalion, Delaware Army National Guard, was selected to be the team lead for the training exercise. He said he had never done remains removal training before, but he was ready to learn and take on a new challenge.
"We learned how to sweep an area before recovering the remains," said Dedonato. "There are certain things that need to be flagged. The area has to be mapped out, and that's all to take accountability of the area. There are also certain personal effects that need to be documented, and of course the actual transportation of the remains."
Wells emphasized the importance of the transportation process as a way to honor the Soldier. There are a lot of moving parts working together to reassure friends and family that their loved ones are treated with respect. The team is trained to handle situations with extreme care from the moment they receive the mission to the moment they return the remains back home.
"We want to make sure that Soldier or individual is not delayed and is taken care of properly," said Wells.
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