Senator Ayotte Questions Air Force Chief of Staff About Mishandling of Troop Remains

Statement

During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the eve of Veterans Day, U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) questioned Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton A. Schwartz about alleged mishandling of troops' remains at the Dover Air Force Base mortuary in Delaware. Earlier this week, the Air Force Office of Special Counsel released the results of an investigation that found evidence of gross mismanagement, mishandling, and misplacement of the remains of U.S. troops. The Washington Post today reported that portions of some remains were sent to a landfill without the knowledge of family members of the fallen. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta has since ordered a 60-day review of the Dover mortuary's operations.

AYOTTE: "I'm deeply troubled by the reports about what's happened at the mortuary at the Dover Air Force Base. I'm sure you would agree with me that this is outrageous that remains of our soldiers would be put in a landfill and not treated with the appropriate dignity and honor they deserve. Can you tell me where we are with this and how we're going to ensure that this never happens again? And most important, that those who participated in this outrage are going to be held accountable?"

GEN. SCHWARTZ: "First let me clarify the allegation about putting remains in a landfill. Those were portions...prior to 2008...which were sent away from the Dover mortuary to a funeral home for cremation, which is an authorized method of dealing with remains. Particularly those that are separated from the larger portion of remains returned to the family. After that, the results of the cremation came back to the mortuary were sent to a medical support company for incineration. So you had cremation, then incineration, and it was at that point that this medical support organization placed the residuals from that effort into a landfill. In 2008, the Air Force came to the conclusion that was not the best way to deal with those remains, and so it is now done in the traditional fashion of burial at sea. It has been that way since 2008; it will continue to be that way in the future. And let me just conclude by saying that the Secretary of the Air Force, Mike Donley, and I take personal responsibility for this. Our obligation is to treat our fallen with reverence and dignity and respect, and to provide the best possible support and care for their families. That is our mission...the people who did not fulfill our expectations were disciplined, and there is no doubt what our expectations are today."

AYOTTE: "...When I think about the fact that we have Veterans Day tomorrow, this is so important that we obviously treat the remains of our fallen with dignity and respect, and I know that you share that concern as well. Please know that members of this Committee will be there to support you in any way, to make sure that the families know that we certainly won't allow this to happen again."

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