Posted on 12/07/2011 6:39:00 PM PST by bimboeruption
The Air Force dumped the incinerated partial remains of at least 274 American troops in a Virginia landfill, far more than the military had acknowledged, before halting the secretive practice three years ago, records show.
The landfill dumping was concealed from families who had authorized the military to dispose of the remains in a dignified and respectful manner, Air Force officials said. There are no plans, they said, to alert those families now.
The Air Force had maintained that it could not estimate how many troops might have had their remains sent to a landfill. The practice was revealed last month by The Washington Post, which was able to document a single case of a soldier whose partial remains were sent to the King George County landfill in Virginia. The new data, for the first time, show the scope of what has become an embarrassing episode for vaunted Dover Air Base, the main port of entry for America’s war dead.
The landfill disposals were never formally authorized under military policies or regulations. They also were not disclosed to senior Pentagon officials who conducted a high-level review of cremation policies at the Dover mortuary in 2008, records show.
Air Force and Pentagon officials said last month that determining how many remains went to the landfill would require searching through the records of more than 6,300 troops whose remains have passed through the mortuary since 2001.
“It would require a massive effort and time to recall records and research individually,” Jo Ann Rooney, the Pentagon’s acting undersecretary for personnel, wrote in a Nov. 22 letter to Rep. Rush D. Holt (D-N.J.).
Holt, who has pressed the Pentagon for answers on behalf of a constituent whose husband was killed in Iraq, accused the Air Force and Defense Department of hiding the truth.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Having been in the Army and Air National Guard, I can tell you that the 1 day training your wife recieved on the M-16. (yes it probably was an M-16 not -A1 or -A2) Is a farce. Unless she is an SP or SOCOM, she and every other non-SP/SOCOM in the Air Force is undertrained.
When someone that’s not an Air Force weapons instructor has to help senior enlisted Air Force personnel disassemble and clean their M-16 because they don’t know how, it’s a problem.
Then there was the day we had to teach the F-15 pilot 1 star general how to use an MRE heater. (apparently he couldn’t figure out the instructions)
“...“It would require a massive effort and time to recall records and research individually,” Jo Ann Rooney, the Pentagon’s acting undersecretary for personnel, wrote...”
Then you better get started REAL QUICK, Jo Ann...
This is beyond scandalous.
I’m with you. I remain disturbed and perplexed. So many families. It’s unreal to me. Unthinkable, really.
GOD ALMIGHTY....THIS IS HORRIBLE! WORDS CANNOT EXPRESS MY ANGER. THE POOR FAMILIES. THIS IS AN ATROCITY OF THE FIRST MAGNITUDE!
This happened during the tenure of Mr. Bush who, despite the PR, did Not support our troops. The VA has been steadily cut. Last time I called them with a medical problem some male nurse suggested I solve it with a few shots of whiskey so they could save money on a prescription.
Give me a break - when the govt is spying on us the NSA can use supercomputers to go through 6,300 records in a millisecond. In a half hour they process as much data as is contained in the entire library of Congress.
And Of Course, no one higher up knew about this. Sure they didn’t. Plausible deniability. A wink and a nod. They’ll fry a few little guys - throw them to the press - but the decision-makers will never be touched, as usual.
Hard to believe, but I can remember when they actually had investigative reporters on their staff. That’s Really dating me, though. Way back before infotainment days ;’)
Actually, the do still get data, but you’d be amazed what the WaPo Doesn’t print. I had firsthand knowledge of one suppressed story.
Thankfully, someone finally spilled the beans, although I’m amazed it took so long. Reporters don’t read minds. Someone usually has to tip them off. I hope that someone remains unknown. I’ve known a few whistleblowers and they are safe as long as the publicity is on - but once it’s off the knives come out and they take it in the neck.
Reading the CBS account, I don’t think the partial remains even included limbs.
We’re talking about small pieces which could not be used in the DNA tracking procedures for all those unidentified remains.
In other words, whatever was identified as a body part, a chunk off flesh, part of an organ, etc, was shipped back for others to handle. Those unidentifiable parts,...because they were too small or burnt or damaged to even perform a DNA test, still were not immediately disposed.
They were collected and over a period of time, the total numbers added up to parts from a guess of about 2700 cases/servicemen?/camels?/dogs?/bystanders?
Over time, they finally were disposed of as biohazardous waste, which is generally incinerated (not cremated by different documentation processes). The incinerated ash was then disposed of at landfills.
IMHO, there is no problem here.
You may be correct.
The only problem I see is for those who might be around the landfill at the Rapture. But then again, if they are still hanging around, this will be the least of their worries.
The Washington Post also exposed the Walter Reed scandal back in 07. Saw plenty of fair weather soldier supporters here on FR then. They cared more about Dubya’s poll numbers than the wounded getting taken care of. As far as the Bush bots were concerned, the wounded were good for a purple heart ceremony and then needed to keep quiet.
Yep, and even if that technology didn`t exist, it still needs to be done...completely and exhaustively.
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