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The months following the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, would
forever shape the way the military does business.
In an
effort to provide some sense of comfort to the families of those who
perished that September day, the U.S. Army Human Resources Command
established the Joint Personal Effects Depot at present day Joint
Base Myer- Henderson Hall, in Arlington, Virginia.
Its close
proximity to the Pentagon made Arlington the perfect area to account
for and process personal items of fallen warriors, return those to
the families, and help provide closure.
But as America’s resolve strengthened, the young men and women of
this country took up arms to defend the freedoms of its citizens
against an unconventional new enemy in a war against terror
thousands of miles away.
With the possibility of a rising
number of casualties stemming from this new war, America’s military
was faced with a new challenge - how to care for its fallen?
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October 23, 2017 - Soldiers' paintings honoring the four military
services adorn the walls at the Joint Personal Effects Depot located
at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. Soldiers working at the JPED
take a great deal of pride in honoring the fallen. They go through
great lengths to ensure all of a fallen service members' personal
effects are cleaned and accounted for before returning them back to
the families. (U.S. Army photo by Master Sgt. Brian Hamilton)
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History
As the war on terror intensified, the need for an expanded
personal effects facility soon became evident and the JPED
was relocated from Arlington, miles away to Aberdeen Proving
Ground in Maryland.
Working out of old and sometimes dilapidated World War II
era warehouses, workers at the JPED ran an assembly line
operation without heat in the winter or air conditioning in
the summer until 2005, when the decision was made to
consolidate the Joint Personal Effects Depot along with the
services’ mortuary to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
“I was assigned to the depot in Aberdeen as a mortuary
affairs specialist with the Army Reserve and I can say it
was less than ideal conditions to work in,” said Nelson
Delgado, JPED operations management specialist and retired
Army Reserve master sergeant.
“Back then everything
was moved from station to station,” he said. “It was cramped
and there was too much room for mistakes. One day General
Schoomaker (retired Gen. Peter Schoomaker, 35th Chief of
Staff of the U.S. Army) showed up and asked us what we
needed.
“That’s how we got to Dover.”
In March
2011, construction of the current 58,000 square-foot
state-of-the art facility was finally completed by the
Philadelphia District Corps of Engineers at a cost of $17.5
million. A few months later in May, the first personal
effects processed there.
Staffed by a mix of active
and Reserve component Soldiers, Airmen, and Marines, as well
as a handful of Department of the Army Civilians and
contractors, the JPED, along with the Air Force Mortuary
Affairs Operations facility provides dignity, honor, and
respect for the families left behind.
Process
When Soldiers make the ultimate sacrifice in theater, their
personal effects are inventoried, packed and rushed to the
JPED, usually within five days.
“If it comes through the
front door, it has to be accounted for by us and sent to the
family,” said Delgado. “We don’t throw anything away.
“Sometimes what might seem insignificant to you and me
may in fact be very important to the families. We’ve
actually had instances where families have called back
asking for something like a gum wrapper that was given to
the service member by a child,” he said.
As items
arrive at the depot they are carefully x-rayed and screened
for unexploded ordnance in a blast-proof corridor before
they are ever brought into the main facility.
From
there, items are brought into an individual cage where they
are inventoried and packed for shipment to the service
member’s primary next of kin.
“All the preparations
are done, from start to finish, in one single room,” Delgado
said.
“We ensure there are two Soldiers present in
the cage at all times in addition to a summary court martial
officer. This gives us a system of checks and balances and
also reduces the risk of cross contamination of items,” he
added.
Each cage is equipped with photographic
equipment, washers and dryers, and cleaning materials. As
items are inventoried, they are carefully inspected and then
individually photographed. Soldiers go through great pains
to ensure each item is soil-free and presentable for the
family members.
“We want to make sure everything that
the individual service member had with them in theater is
returned to the family,” Delgado said. “What we don’t want
to do is make a difficult situation worse.
“If an
item is soiled, or blood stained, we will stay here as long
as it takes to get it clean so it can be returned. Besides
memories, this is all the families have of their loved
ones,” he said.
Presentation
After items are cleaned and
inventoried, they are carefully packaged into individual
plastic foot-lockers.
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October 24, 2017 - Nelson Delgado, Joint Personal Effects Depot
operations management specialist, stands in cage one at the JPED
located at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. After items come into
the JPED receive an initial inspection for unexploded ordnance, they
are then taken into one of several cages where the items are
inventoried, inspected for cleanliness and damage, photographed, and
packaged for delivery back to the family of the fallen service
member. The entire process, from start to finish is done in one
location to help eliminate items from becoming misplaced or cross
contaminated with other service member's personal items. (U.S. Army photo by Master Sgt. Brian Hamilton)
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Each item is pressed and folded. They are placed neatly
in the containers, and wrapped tightly with several layers
of packaging paper and bubble wrap. Smaller items, such as
rings, watches or identification tags, are placed into small
decorative pouches, inscribed with the service member’s
individual branch of service.
Items such as Bibles,
flags, or family photos are placed at the top of the first
box, so that they are the first things the families see upon
opening it.
“We emphasize box
one, because that is usually the box the families will open first.
But that doesn’t mean we neglect box two, or box six, or even box
10,” Delgado said. “We treat each box the same way because we really
want the families to know we care about their loved one.
“That’s why we take our time and make sure items are neat and
presentable, not just stuff thrown in a box.”
After the items
are finally packaged and sent to the transit room, Soldiers scour
the cage one last time and sweep the floor before exiting. Great
attention to detail is given to make sure everything is accounted
for and nothing is overlooked.
Connection
Soldiers at the JPED are meticulously
screened for duty fitness by HRC’s Casualty and Mortuary Affairs
Operations Division before they are ever assigned there.
Assignments at the JPED can be emotionally taxing on the Soldiers
working there.
Soldiers regularly attend resiliency training
to help them cope with the tasks they are asked to perform. The JPED
chaplain is as much there for them as he or she is for the grieving
families attending dignified transfers.
“This is a job that
not a lot of people want, or can do, but at the same time this can
be the most rewarding job you will ever do,” Delgado said.
“Taking care of the personal effects is the last part of the
process. This is what helps bring some sense of closure to the
families. The families don’t see what goes on here, but we get to
know the service members and their loved ones by working here. We
develop a closeness and connection with them,” he added.
For
Delgado and others working at the JPED, that connection sometimes
hits close to home.
“Sometimes you see kids as young as 19
years of age coming through here,” he said. “I have a 19-year-old
kid at home. Sometimes it hits a little too close to home. I don’t
know anyone working here that hasn’t cried at one time or another.
“I spent 23 of my 25-year Army Reserve career as mortuary
affairs and I was blessed to get assigned to the JPED. This is our
way of giving back to the families of the fallen. It’s an honor to
do this.”
By U.S. Army Master Sgt. Brian Hamilton
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2017
To Honor The
Fallen - Inside The Dover Port Mortuary
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