Port Mortuary team provides honorable service Published Oct. 18, 2007 By Lt. Col. Maryanne Havard 436th MDSS commander DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- We all hope that our years of service will be remembered as honorable and that we contributed in some significant way to the mission. One of the most honorable missions is the one carried out at the Charles C. Carson Center for Mortuary Affairs here at Dover Air Force Base. That this unique Department of Defense mission is carried out in such a quiet and efficient manner is attributable to the many on active duty, in the Reserves and others who volunteer duty to make it possible. In my 30 years as a health professional in the civilian sector and the military, I can honestly say this is one of the hardest missions to carry out. The intricate details, scheduling, and cooperation that occur under very difficult conditions are absolutely amazing! This includes the young Honor Guard members who respectfully welcome our fallen Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen back home, to the people who work within the Port Mortuary, to the volunteer Aerial Port Squadron Airmen who work the outbound dignified transfers. Inside the mortuary is the toughest job of all. Karen Giles leads the team at the mortuary and is one of the finest human beings I have ever met. Dedicated and caring, she ensures mission accomplishment seven days a week, 365 days per year, never forgetting about the people that make it happen. She truly exemplifies the many unsung heroes that ensure our fallen comrades are returned with dignity, honor and respect. I know she will not like seeing her name in print, but she deserves the praise for a job well done. I first visited the mortuary to see my medical support squadron radiology Airmen working there. As I walked through the operation, I quickly realized the care rendered at all stages of preparation. Airmen worked efficiently and patiently together. All Airmen I encountered took their responsibilities seriously, avoided any type of praise or fanfare, and indicated it was an honor for them to perform their duties. Given that their duties are usually very physical tasks which are not for the light-hearted, this is admirable. Folks, you are my heroes. I also noticed everyone checking on each other and ensuring the job was completed at the end of the day before anyone left. I remember one particularly long day when I assisted with preparations. The mortician I was working with had traveled over from the D.C. area and spent several hours preparing one fallen Soldier for return to his loved ones. As he was working on one of the Soldier's limbs, others came over to assist and finish the preparations. As he finished, he fell into a chair, exhausted but knowing his skill and effort made a difference to that Soldier's family. The escorts who travel with each of our fallen heroes take this duty very seriously. Some are fresh from the battlefield themselves, and many know the people they are escorting home. What a tough task. Last May when I served during outbound dignified transfers, I had the opportunity during that week to meet a new widow, a brother deployed to Iraq escorting his little brother home, an uncle and an officer who had sworn in the young Marine going home. Thankfully I was wearing my uniform on each of these occasions, without it I think I would have had great difficulty retaining my composure. Why did I pick this topic? Because the mortuary is truly a part of the 436th AW mission. Possibly giving our lives is a risk we accept when we take the oath to serve our nation. It is reassuring to know if I or my children now serving were to be killed in action, the same care would be rendered. Thank you to all of you who provide this honorable service.