Graves Registration: An Issue That Will Not Die

摘要

Mass casualties on future battlefields will quickly overwhelm the graves registration capabilities of US Army forces as presently structured. The specter of thousands of dead American soldiers unidentified, unattended, and unevacuated, would have a disastrous impact on the fighting force, both in terms of morale and commitment. This paper addresses the historical perspectives of the Army's Graves Registration problems--lessons learned but forgotten, and the inadequate structure, staffing, and training of Graves Registration units. To overcome these deficiencies, four potential Graves Registration force multipliers are proposed. These multipliers include: (1) The need to accept mass casualty burials as the primary means of temporary disposition of remains; (2) Develop better identification techniques and procedures; (3) Reduce required paperwork; and (4) Increase Graves Registration capability by using Host Nation Support or composite units. These alternatives, realistically applied, have the potential to reduce the Army's current Graves Registration dilemma. (Author)