The sacred duties of mortuary affairs in the U.S. Army dates back to the Civil War. Since then, much has evolved, but the mission has remained the same; ensuring Soldiers receive a dignified return home.

The 311th Quartermaster Company (QM CO), 1st Mission Support Command, conducted annual training at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, during the 86th Training Division’s Combat Support Exercise (CSTX) 24-02 from Aug. 3 to Aug. 17. The U.S. Army Reserve company, based out of Puerto Rico, specializes in mortuary affairs and used this exercise to evaluate current Soldier skill levels to increase overall unit readiness.

The military occupational specialty 92M, mortuary affairs specialist, handles the remains of Soldiers who have fallen in the line of duty with the utmost respect and compassion.

U.S. Army Pfc. Jemsiel Cupeles, who reported to basic training Aug. 1, 2023, said this CSTX is his first annual training exercise as part of the unit. He said the CSTX has reinforced his classroom education from advanced individual training with hands-on field application. This 2-week exercise helped strengthen his mortuary affairs knowledge base and confidence for potential future interactions with human remains, referred to as Heroes.

“The remains are Heroes because they fought for us and they died for us,” explained Cupeles, “That is respect, and they deserve that.”

The CSTX is designed to deliver and enable realistic training in austere environments to prepare units for multi-domain large scale combat operations. The mortuary affairs Soldiers were co-located near a field hospital that trained by treating notional casualties. Mortuary affairs were on-ground and ready to provide dignified handling procedures for the notional casualties who succumbed to their injuries. To simulate a real-world environment, the 311th QM CO conducted 24/7 operations, remaining ready to receive, process, and ship notional Heroes home.

U.S. Army Sgt. Alexander Polanco, with 311th QM CO, has been a 92M for eight years. He said encountering fallen Heroes can be difficult, but the CSTX provided notional mass casualty evacuations that enabled his unit to increase familiarization and readiness because performing their duties can be difficult.

“…you have to deal with people that pass away in traumatic action or [are] killed in combat, and not everyone is prepared to deal with that,” explained Polanco, “You have to be strong enough to deal with those Heroes.”

Duties for a 92M include recovery of fallen Heroes, positive identification, safe transport of their personal belongings, the issuance of a death certificate, arranging dignified flights, and assisting with arrangement of military honors for funerals.

Mortuary affairs specialists are the last Soldiers who come in contact with fallen Heroes before their dignified flight home. While training on the proper way to transport Heroes, the Soldiers ensure the notional casualties’ feet face in the direction they travel. This is to represent the fallen Hero walking alongside them, together as a team.

Polanco, who has experience from past combat deployments to the Middle East, said caring for fallen Heroes is mentally hard, but he finds satisfaction in knowing, “...the family will receive their loved ones, they’ll know that they were treated with respect, and that they [the families] will receive all of their personal effects.”

Soldiers must be ready and capable to conduct a full range of military operations, including the proper handling, care, and honor for our Nation’s fallen Heroes.