No small mission here!

  • Published
  • By Col. James Cocklin
  • 436th MDG deputy commander
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  The phone call came from California to our home just a few days before New Year's, 2009. Our great nephew TJ, a US Army warrior, had been killed by an IED in Iraq. The war was now personal and in the days to follow became even more so when his family requested that I accompany the body of their only son from Delaware back home to California. 

The Army had transformed a troubled young man into a true man of honor; a "soldier's soldier" as relayed to me by one of TJ's squad leaders. TJ was very good at what he did. I guess you could say that the Army was both the best and the worst of his young life. He was just shy of 21 years old and due home from his deployment in less than two weeks when he was killed. The family had decided to leave the Christmas tree up so TJ could celebrate his favorite holiday with his family when he returned. 

Very early a few days after the call, I arrived at the Port Mortuary for instruction on escorting TJ home. All the personal effects were laid out along with posthumously awarded decorations. Part of the process is for the escort to go through everything, check the inventory and sign for it so it can be presented to the Casualty Assistance Officer at the destination. At the flightline, the young, but very distinguished and appropriately solemn members of the Aerial Port reverse dignified transfer team were ready to perform their duty of a reverse dignified transfer despite the bitter cold and windy Delaware morning. The reverse transfer was flawlessly performed, maintaining Team Dover's ever-present standard of excellence. 

After checking the tags on the casket once again, my family and I waited while the flag-draped casket was ceremonially placed in the small jet. As I boarded to sit behind the flight deck and slightly in front of the casket, the pilot told me that only the flight deck was heated and I would get the overflow. He gave me three blankets to keep me warm during the flight. It never left my mind during the long flight that being cold that day was such a small price to pay considering what the young man behind me had given for his country.
Some things have changed significantly since the filming of the movie, "Taking Chance." Instead of traveling on a commercial airliner in the cargo compartment, a charter jet now takes the remains to the closest airstrip to their hometown. Because of this, the general public does not get an opportunity to pay their respects to the one who fought and died for them as they did for Chance and many others. They are no longer exposed to the process of the casket being ceremoniously moved through major airports or along roadways to its destination. However, the outpouring of respect, love, and support was shown by the throng of people holding American flags and standing quietly as we touched down at the Modesto airport. 

During the days following, the arrival of this one Soldier brought to light the amazing support of not only friends and family, but also support and protection from nameless others who had fought in wars of days gone by and other parents who had also sacrificed their children for the freedom that should never be taken for granted or simply expected.

This is just my story of one young man. Every single one of our 4,000 plus fallen heroes from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom have come through Dover AFB; each one treated as though they were the only casualty of any war. As the men and women of the Port Mortuary so frequently share, each one of our fallen is treated with dignity, honor and respect. 

Dover is a small base but our mission is not. It may always be that receiving the fallen and taking tender care of each individual is our most honorable mission. Our missions here at Dover touch so many lives far beyond the Dover area in ways we don't think of during our daily routines. But not one of us - not active duty nor reservists, not government employees, not even family members can ever forget that each individual or group mission at Dover AFB plays an integral part in supporting those deployed, those in war zones, families of deployed personnel, those in immediate harm and those who have given their lives for our way of life. There is no small mission here! Whether active duty, Reserve or civilian, the Air Force Core Values should be ringing in our ears. Integrity First. Service Before Self. Excellence in All We Do.