DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- Most people know that Dover Air Force Base is home to the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operation where Fallen are brought before their final journey home, however; most do not know that the Office of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner plays a vital role in this process which falls under the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System.
Every service member and American citizen who dies in a combat zone and certain individuals who are killed or die within the United States or abroad must have a medical-legal examination performed by an Armed Forces Medical Examiner. OAFME is the center for these examinations.
“In accordance with our regulations, we perform post-mortem examinations which involves the forensic pathology investigation, determination of injuries and collection of evidence, which helps us determine the manner and cause of death,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Phillip Berran, OAFME director. “Collectively, we seek the truth while implementing the utmost dignity and respect during the entire process.”
OAFME personnel include board certified forensic pathologists, forensic anthropologists, medical-legal death investigators, photographers and mortuary affairs specialists.
A medical-legal examination entails reviewing the circumstances of death, scientifically identifying the decedent, performing an autopsy and writing a report. Scientific identification is also made by performing fingerprinting, dental, and DNA analyses.
Frederick Upchurch, OAFME chief medical legal death investigator, said his job is to oversee six medical legal death investigators and he is also responsible for day to day operations. Upchurch confirms all cases that belong to AFMES jurisdiction is captured correctly and follow them through disposition.
“We perform autopsies because the forensic pathologist needs to come up with a clear, cut cause of death and the manner of death,” said Upchurch. When [forensic pathologists] sign the death certificate they are certifying with their license what they believe they died from.”
OAFME can also send a team out to an installation that is exclusive to federal jurisdiction to perform an investigation which is comprised of an investigator, photographer and forensic pathologist. They also do this for aircraft mishaps either overseas or within the United States.
U.S. Army Sergeant 1st Class Alessa Jose, OAFME NCO in charge, said she loves her job because she is helping family members who have lost a loved one.
“It is important to document the death of a service member to give closure to the family members,” said Jose. “There is always that question of how and why, as well as those family members that do not believe. It is OAFME’s job to do the forensic investigation to be sure that how that decedent died is accurate and the family can have closure.”