DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. –
For most Air Force members, a deployment usually means time spent in Iraq, Afghanistan or other far-flung regions of the world. But for three 940th Wing Reservists, a deployment within the U.S. has offered a chance to contribute in ways most people would never even consider.
The three, all members of the 940th Wing's Services Flight, have been deployed to the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Center at Dover AFB, Del., since September. While each works in a different section, they are all involved in providing dignity, honor and respect for fallen warriors, as well as care, service and support for their families.
The center is charged with Air Force wide mortuary responsibility and operation of the Department of Defense's sole port mortuary. Every Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Marine, civilian employee or contractor who dies in the Area of Responsibility passes through the AFMAO, as do those who fall under the jurisdiction of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner.
Master Sgt. Judy Riley of Bay City, Oregon, volunteered for this deployment, as did Tech. Sgt. Judy Sandoval of Sacramento and Tech. Sgt. Chris Williams of Palo Alto, Calif. Sergeant Riley said the level of pride she saw people taking in their job when she came through the center in 2008 for training was a "huge factor" in her decision to volunteer.
The personal effects section, where Sergeant Riley works, receives any items the casualty had on their person at the time of death. They inventory, photograph and, when feasible, clean the items so they can be returned to the family.
The section is a mixture of a sterile, industrial workplace broken by poignantly personal collections. Photos, name tags, telephone calling cards, drivers' licenses, uniform patches and a small, folded U.S. flag sit on steel racks, one section for each of the fallen warriors. Items that can't be immediately returned to family members are picked up by members of the Joint Personal Effects Depot in Aberdeen, Md., where some items are stored or, if they can be restored, returned.
Sergeant Riley and her personal effects team use jewelry cleaners, rotary tools and steam cleaners to restore personal item like rings, medallions and dog tags to a condition suitable for presentation to the family. The items are then given to the escort, who will return them to the family at the final destination.
"Some of this is hard to see," Sergeant Riley said. "I usually go in and say a little prayer for (the fallen member) and their family."
Sergeant Sandoval has worked in the autopsy section since arriving at Dover in September 2009. She said she was familiar with the center's operations since she worked in the embalming section during a previous deployment.
"It was a tough experience the first time," Sergeant Sandoval said. "Once I got into it, though, it was awesome. The dignity, honor and respect go so much deeper...each individual is an individual, and it's important that we treat them with care."
One incident that stands out from her other experiences at the center is the Fort Hood shootings. Like all of the fallen who return from overseas, autopsies were performed to determine the official cause of death, and Sergeant Sandoval assisted with those autopsies.
"Here are these people who are supposed to be in a safe place, someplace they're at every single day," Sergeant Sandoval said. "The fact that an act of terrorism can happen on a base in the U.S. is scary."
This is the fifth Dover deployment for Sergeant Williams. His last was right after 9-11, when he helped prepare the fallen recovered after the terrorist attack on the Pentagon. His reasons for coming back are very personal, he said.
"The main reason I come back is that it's an honor to take care of our fallen," Sergeant Williams said. "They gave their lives and sacrificed everything. What we do here helps bring closure for the families so they can start the grieving process. "
Working with the all-around crew allows Sergeant Williams the chance to assist in different sections. His crew will usually remove the fallen from the transfer case they arrive in, help with x-raying them to ensure there is no unexploded ordnance, and then assist wherever else they may be needed. He's also taken on the responsibility of ensuring the facility is well taken care of. He said he looks at that part of his job the same way he looks at everything else.
"I take pride in everything I do," the sergeant said. "You have your standards, the Air Force has its standards, and I have my own standards. My standards are higher than them all. I'm going to leave this place better than when I found it."
Sergeant Williams expressed the overall opinion of the rest of his team when asked how they can do a job that many people would never attempt.
"Not everybody can work in a mortuary - most people think it would be morbid," Sergeant Williams said. "But when you see our fallen coming home, you realize that freedom isn't free. People pay for it with their lives. For me, it's a privilege to be here."