Effective planning and coordination are required to provide adequately trained and sustainable MA support in an OA. Proper planning across all functional areas of a CCMD staff allows for a systematic examination of all relevant factors for an operation to support interoperability with other plans. Deployment of the MA assets during a contingency is determined by the joint force’s mission, the threat, anticipated number of fatalities, duration of the operation, logistics channels for evacuation of human remains, available lift, and available mortuary support. MA planning should focus on wartime and major contingencies, peacetime losses are the responsibility of the Military Department Secretary.
a. Threat. The threat is a composite of ongoing enemy actions; artifacts of both friendly and enemy actions; occupational, environmental, geographical, and meteorological conditions; and the possible employment of CBRN agents or WMD.
b. Personnel Estimates. The manpower and personnel directorate of a joint staff prepares a personnel estimate that should contain a fatality estimate. In addition, each Service formulates fatality estimates in accordance with individual Service directives to support operation planning and assessment, future force planning, and training. During peacetime, these estimates are not calculated, so planners should review past losses within their OA to support the personnel estimate and include plans for a mass fatality event that could require additional, short-term support to augment the MA capability resident in the region. The exact number of fatalities US military forces and CAAF will suffer during peacetime or in military operations can never be accurately predicted; therefore, planning for MA support should be continuous and flexible to adjust to unanticipated situations.
Plans and orders should be reviewed and amended as new facts become available, resources change, and other variables become apparent.
c. Logistics Channels for Evacuation of Human Remains. Establishing an evacuation channel for human remains when MACPs or a TMEP are established is critical to the smooth operation of MA in the OA. Human remains are transported on a “first in, first out” basis from a TMEP when one is established. DOD mortuary facilities should support the return of peacetime losses upon request by the Military Department of Service casualty office. The DOD mortuary facility should coordinate with the Service casualty
office for remains that they prepare. The MA planner should consider all appropriate means for human remains movement.
d. MA CONOPS. The overseas GCCs support the Military Departments in coordinating for the recovery, preparation, and evacuation of the human remains to a DOD mortuary and ultimately to a civilian funeral home for final disposition. This process may be supported by a DOD regional mortuary located in, or designated in support of, the GCC’s AOR. The MA CONOPS is based on the Service’s MA program; how and when to employ the program is driven by operational requirements and logistics considerations.
The MA CONOPS for a given operation is designed to support the operational requirements of the forces and agencies involved. Therefore, CONOPS may differ in scope, detail, objectives, and available resources for specific operations and require updates during the operation’s phases to reflect changes in commander’s intent and mission requirements. Planners prepare an appendix (Mortuary Affairs) to annex D (Logistics) for OPCONs in their OA. When operations involve a declared conflict, there is generally a need to establish theater mortuary facilities (i.e., MACPs, TMEPs, and a theater PE depot) to meet the anticipated evacuation requirement. When these theater MA assets are required, the MA planner considers the manning and location of facilities for the receipt, preparation, and evacuation of human remains.
For additional guidance on the preparation of the CONOPS, see CJCSM 3130.03, Adaptive Planning and Execution (APEX) Planning Formats and Guidance.
e. Commanders and MA Support Planners. Planners at all levels should consider the following during planning and execution:
(1) Formal Agreements. Formal agreements assist in establishing procedures for the release of US human remains to US control. Review formal agreements such as:
(a) North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) standardization agreements.
(b) Quadripartite standardization agreements.
(c) MNF agreements (mortuary).
(d) ACSAs.
(e) Status-of-forces agreements.
(f) Defense security agreements.
(2) Implementing and Supplemental Agreements. Additional implementing and supplemental agreements may be entered into between a CCDR and the HN to facilitate the transfer of human remains from the HN to US control. These agreements and arrangements can be established in a variety of forms. The GCC’s lead Service for the MA program should maintain copies of all such agreements. These agreements can supplement
the status-of-forces agreements or other overarching agreements in any of the following:
implementing agreements, implementing instructions, technical agreements, and exercise support agreements.
(3) NGO Coordination. Liaison should be established with International Committee of the Red Cross or Red Crescent for release of non-US personnel remains.
(4) Contracts. Contracts with commercial companies will identify the eligibility of contractors for DOD MA support. MA support and transportation of remains will be provided on a reimbursable basis in accordance with DODD 1300.22, Mortuary Affairs Policy.
(5) Legal Jurisdiction. HN and US laws establish legal jurisdiction affecting release of human remains to US control.
(6) HNS. Availability of HNS for facilities and contract support items may affect the logistical support requirements.
(7) Religious Considerations. MA planning takes into account religious considerations associated with the faith of the deceased and local populations that often impact operations such as evacuation timelines.
(8) Personnel to Be Supported. The number of personnel in the JOA and the JOA’s size and location will have a large impact on the type of support that will be allocated and the placement of MA facilities. MA support and transportation is provided to all DOD- affiliated personnel involved in an operation. It may also include (on a non-reimbursable or reimbursable basis) US citizens, employees of other US Government departments and agencies, and CAAF who die outside of the US, upon the specific request of Department of State or other US Government department or agency. See Title 10, USC, Section 1486;
Title 5, USC, Section 5741; and Title 31, USC, Section 1535. In addition, it can extend to operational partners involved in a given mission.
(9) Infrastructure. Level of infrastructure development (e.g., port mortuary location, LOCs, airfields, and other facilities) may affect MA sustainment operations.
(10) Liaison. MA liaison officer requirements for operations involving coordination between DOD and outside agencies should be established.
(11) Engineer Support. Planners should contact their engineering support personnel to review existing MA facility plans in the engineering database, rather than design a new facility. These designs are generally less expensive alternatives than contract construction or leasing and are built using readily available materials in the DOD supply system.
(12) OCS. To reduce the logistical footprint, MA planners should review contract support options to fulfill requirements for equipment and supplies such as ice