Local Air Force reservists attend to war dead at Delaware base
Niagara reservists perform grim task with deep reverence
Published: March 23, 2009, 12:30 am
Story tools:
Share this story:
There’s no grimmer task in war, and not everyone in the military is cut out to perform it—attending to the dead.
But it’s necessary work, and a squadron of about 40 Air Force reservists based in the Town of Niagara are routinely deployed to mortuary duty at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, the U. S. arrival point for the fallen service members.
They assist pathologists in identifying the remains and conducting autopsies. When those solemn tasks are completed, they also work alongside morticians in completing the final preparations for the journey home to loved ones.
The work is satisfying, said Senior Master Sgt. Michael R. Roach, superintendent of the 914th Airlift Wing’s Services Squadron.
“A lot of what drives the people to be successful is a sense of patriotism,” Roach said. “It’s the least you can do for this person who has made the ultimate sacrifice.”
And that satisfaction has increased even more in recent months with the recognition that has come from the release of the cable television movie “Taking Chance,” which stars Kevin Bacon and painstakingly details the return of a fallen Marine’s remains.
“People have approached me and asked, ‘Is this part of what you guys do?’ And I’ve said it’s exactly what we do at the port mortuary,” Roach said. “A lot of my friends and family really didn’t understand what we do until they saw the movie. They’ve told me they didn’t think they could handle that type of work.”
The work is emotional, to be sure.
“When I first started with this mission in 1990, I was young, and I’d do anything the Air Force asked of me,” Roach said, “but as you experience life and loss, it develops a different meaning.”
As a result, the 45-year-old career reservist from Buffalo said he goes out of his way to screen individuals applying to the Services Squadron.
“We want to make sure that the people we send are psychologically prepared for it and capable of handling the situation,” Roach said. “Not everyone who is in our organization can actually handle all of the emotions.”
Psychological fallout, Roach explained, has lessened in recent years because of a growing recognition that unit members need ways to vent.
During their 60 to 120 days of duty at Dover, they have daily access to psychologists and chaplains.
“They are allowed to sit down and talk with them about what they are feeling,” Roach said. “They’re human, and we try to recognize that.”
The result, Roach said, is a more efficient unit.
Tech. Sgt. Juanita Hagen of Lockport says that when she enters the mortuary at Dover, she puts the outside world behind her.
“I get a sense of dignity, pride and accomplishment knowing that I did something wonderful for my fallen heroes,” Hagen said of her work.
When she entered the Air Force Reserve about 10 years ago, the mother of three young sons said, she was uncertain what direction her career would take. “I didn’t know why I joined, but I found this was my calling,” she said of caring for the dead.
Another mission that many of these 40 men and women in the Services Squadron perform is to serve in honor guards at local military funerals. Since the wars began, more than 30 members of the military from Western New York have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Serving in an honor guard provides the reservists a perspective different from what they experience at Dover.
“Numerous times, if you’ve been out on a detail, family members will come up and thank us,” Roach said. “You’re just satisfied that, at that point, they are able to begin the closure process.”
Honor guard members, he said, also feel that they are adding to the sense of honor and dignity as the family bids farewell.
But the work of the 914th’s Services Squadron is not always that somber. About 30 members of the unit have rotated into Iraq and Afghanistan, where they have performed crucial noncombat duties such as feeding troops, managing tent cities and providing recreational activities during rest periods.
“Since 9/11, we’ve put in about 6,000 man-days in Afghanistan and Iraq,” Roach said, adding that they are set to again go overseas in the fall.
In fact, just two days after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the unit was assigned to Dover to assist in processing the remains of victims from the Pentagon, where there were 125 fatalities in addition to the 59 aboard the hijacked jetliner.
Ever since, the unit has been more than busy, overseas and on the home front. And members like to describe their most somber task this way: “Bringing our soldiers home in the end.”
lmichel@buffnews.com
Newsletters
Sign up now for daily and weekly newsletters from BuffaloNews.com and get quick links to the info you want delivered directly to your inbox.Reader comments
Log into MyBuffalo to post a comment
MyBuffalo is the new social network from Buffalo.com. Your MyBuffalo account lets you comment on and rate stories at buffalonews.com. You can also head over to mybuffalo.com to share your blog posts, stories, photos, and videos with the community. Join now or learn more.
Comments have been disabled.
Due to a high volume of submissions that violate The News’ guidelines, commenting is no longer available on this story. If you’d like to share your thoughts on this story, click here to get information on contributing to The News’ opinion pages.