42nd ABW Mortuary Affairs Team practice thorough site recovery methods
Maxwell Air Force Base - Airmen from the 42nd Force Support Squadron recently participated in a search and recovery exercise on March 28, designed to simulate the aftermath of a tornado strike, preparing them for the emotional and technical demands of mortuary affairs.
The three-hour exercise, held at the Maxwell-Gunter Annex's laser tag facility, featured four search zones filled with simulated debris, personal effects, and simulated human remains. Airmen worked in teams to locate, identify, tag, and recover items ranging from earrings to full-body mannequins.
'This particular exercise was if a tornado hit, Maxwell AFB and we had to basically search and recover people's remains,' said 2nd Lt. Shelby Pinner, 42nd FSS career development officer. 'We have very specific procedures and a way of doing it, and so we go out in teams.'
More: A legacy of giving: Honoring Alabama native Herman Colvin's military service
Pinner noted that while the scenario focused on a tornado, the training had broader applications.
'These skills are applicable in various situations, including aircraft incidents and other catastrophic events,' Pinner said.
The exercise also emphasized the importance of documentation. Each find was carefully bagged, tagged, and recorded.
'You have to be specific but vague,' Pinner said. 'If you find a watch, you just say 'gold watch.' But when you're labeling body parts, you want to be a little more specific, so if you find a finger, you'd say, a digit.'
The exercise was developed and led by Christine Bushby, 42nd FSS mortuary readiness and plans specialist, who has nearly 28 years of experience in the field.
'You have to be very meticulous,' Bushby said. 'You can come across remains, personal effects something that could potentially identify that person, if for whatever reason, they weren't visually identifiable or found.'
Airmen donned Tyvek suits and personal protective equipment as they navigated a dim, obstacle-filled environment meant to mimic a real-world disaster scene. A classroom briefing, held the day before, covered anatomy, disaster mental health, bioenvironmental hazard assessments, bloodborne pathogens and mortuary procedures.
'You see a drawing or rendition of the body parts, but when you're actually searching, it's going to look a little bit different,' Bushby said. 'Debris may be covering it, or there may be damage or trauma to the tissue. So we have to be very meticulous, we ultimately want to recover as much as possible for the families.'
Bushby, who has responded to major disasters including the 2011 and 2019 Alabama tornadoes, when working for the state, emphasized that the work can be emotionally taxing but profoundly meaningful.
'When they understand the bigger picture, that we are working to recover someone's loved one, someone's son or daughter they realize it's about something greater than themselves,' Bushby said. 'They start to think, if the roles were reversed, they'd want others to do the same for them.'
More: Crusader of the Month at Maxwell AFB in Alabama: Senior Airman Joseph Rivera
The exercise was observed by representatives from the 42nd Inspector General's office, who evaluated the teams adherence to mortuary affairs protocols and overall readiness.
'We kind of push the limits to see how uncomfortable we can get but still do our jobs,' Bushby said. 'Commanders should be able to feel confident that we are going to do something that nobody else is required to do and we are ready to perform.'
'The camaraderie built during the exercise was impactful because it was both lieutenants and everybody else,' Pinner said. 'It created that camaraderie for us in the Military Personnel Flight.'
The 42nd Force Support Squadron conducts mortuary affairs training annually to ensure personnel remain proficient and mission-ready for real-world contingencies.
'We're the cradle to the grave,' said Bushby. 'People don't like to see me come out, but when things happen, I'm the point for that.'
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: 42nd ABW Mortuary Affairs Team practice thorough site recovery methods
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
DuPont Expands Healthcare Manufacturing Site in Costa Rica, Adding Sterile Packaging Capacity
The 16,000-square-foot expansion enhances DuPont's global sterile operations, increases the capacity of the manufacturing site's existing medical tubing operations, and enables Costa Rica's first-ever production of sterile healthcare packaging. WILMINGTON, Del., June 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- DuPont (NYSE: DD) today announced that it has expanded its sterile operations via an addition to its healthcare manufacturing facility in Heredia, Costa Rica, enabling the site to produce sterile packaging for the global medical device industry while also increasing the capacity of the site's existing medical tubing operations. To serve Healthcare customers in the Caribbean and more broadly across the Americas, the Heredia operation has expanded by 16,000 square feet. The new space accommodates additional extrusion equipment and production lines, enabling production of sterile packaging leveraging Tyvek® – such as pouches, header bags and lids – and increasing DuPont's extruded tubing production capacity. The new expansion is ISO 13485:2016 and ISO 9001:2015 certified, with its technical, assembly and packaging staff adhering to the highest quality standards and protocols. To support current and new customers, the facility is operating on a 24/7 production schedule. "With this expansion, we are now the first company in Costa Rica and the Caribbean to produce fluid management and sterile packaging offerings for the medical device industry," said James Chambers, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Fluids & Flexibles at Spectrum Plastics Group, A DuPont Business. "This significantly enhances our robust, growing portfolio of unmatched offerings and capabilities as a trusted supply chain partner to leading global healthcare companies." DuPont's products, services and expertise for the healthcare industry include extruded tubing and subassemblies, advanced catheter assembly, medical balloons, skin contact devices, smart wearables, additive manufacturing, laser processing, precision injection-molding, medical device fabrication, machining and sterile packaging enabled by Tyvek®. Combining medical-grade performance materials, component and device solutions, and innovative technology, DuPont offers full-service, comprehensive solutions that support a range of healthcare applications. Learn more about DuPont's healthcare solutions at About Spectrum Plastics Group, A DuPont Business Acquired by DuPont in August 2023, Spectrum Plastics Group, A DuPont Business, brings over 60 years of expertise in advanced polymer processing and medical device manufacturing. The company specializes in precision extrusion, specialty injection molding, blown film extrusion and conversion, medical balloon fabrication, laser processing, additive manufacturing, and complex catheter and device assembly. Spectrum is recognized as a leading trusted supplier for the development and production manufacturing of critical polymer-based components and finished devices for the medical device market and other high-performance applications. With global facilities and more than 1 million square feet of manufacturing space, Spectrum delivers proven quality, innovation and technical excellence to solve the most demanding customer challenges. The company supports a broad range of healthcare applications across the biopharmaceutical processing, medical device and pharmaceutical markets. More information can be found at About DuPont DuPont (NYSE: DD) is a global innovation leader with technology-based materials and solutions that help transform industries and everyday life. Our employees apply diverse science and expertise to help customers advance their best ideas and deliver essential innovations in key markets including electronics, transportation, construction, water, healthcare and worker safety. More information about the company, its businesses and solutions can be found at Investors can access information included on the Investor Relations section of the website at DuPont™, the DuPont Oval Logo, and all trademarks and service marks denoted with ™, SM or ® are owned by affiliates of DuPont de Nemours, Inc. unless otherwise noted. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE DuPont
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Yahoo
42nd ABW Mortuary Affairs Team practice thorough site recovery methods
Maxwell Air Force Base - Airmen from the 42nd Force Support Squadron recently participated in a search and recovery exercise on March 28, designed to simulate the aftermath of a tornado strike, preparing them for the emotional and technical demands of mortuary affairs. The three-hour exercise, held at the Maxwell-Gunter Annex's laser tag facility, featured four search zones filled with simulated debris, personal effects, and simulated human remains. Airmen worked in teams to locate, identify, tag, and recover items ranging from earrings to full-body mannequins. 'This particular exercise was if a tornado hit, Maxwell AFB and we had to basically search and recover people's remains,' said 2nd Lt. Shelby Pinner, 42nd FSS career development officer. 'We have very specific procedures and a way of doing it, and so we go out in teams.' More: A legacy of giving: Honoring Alabama native Herman Colvin's military service Pinner noted that while the scenario focused on a tornado, the training had broader applications. 'These skills are applicable in various situations, including aircraft incidents and other catastrophic events,' Pinner said. The exercise also emphasized the importance of documentation. Each find was carefully bagged, tagged, and recorded. 'You have to be specific but vague,' Pinner said. 'If you find a watch, you just say 'gold watch.' But when you're labeling body parts, you want to be a little more specific, so if you find a finger, you'd say, a digit.' The exercise was developed and led by Christine Bushby, 42nd FSS mortuary readiness and plans specialist, who has nearly 28 years of experience in the field. 'You have to be very meticulous,' Bushby said. 'You can come across remains, personal effects something that could potentially identify that person, if for whatever reason, they weren't visually identifiable or found.' Airmen donned Tyvek suits and personal protective equipment as they navigated a dim, obstacle-filled environment meant to mimic a real-world disaster scene. A classroom briefing, held the day before, covered anatomy, disaster mental health, bioenvironmental hazard assessments, bloodborne pathogens and mortuary procedures. 'You see a drawing or rendition of the body parts, but when you're actually searching, it's going to look a little bit different,' Bushby said. 'Debris may be covering it, or there may be damage or trauma to the tissue. So we have to be very meticulous, we ultimately want to recover as much as possible for the families.' Bushby, who has responded to major disasters including the 2011 and 2019 Alabama tornadoes, when working for the state, emphasized that the work can be emotionally taxing but profoundly meaningful. 'When they understand the bigger picture, that we are working to recover someone's loved one, someone's son or daughter they realize it's about something greater than themselves,' Bushby said. 'They start to think, if the roles were reversed, they'd want others to do the same for them.' More: Crusader of the Month at Maxwell AFB in Alabama: Senior Airman Joseph Rivera The exercise was observed by representatives from the 42nd Inspector General's office, who evaluated the teams adherence to mortuary affairs protocols and overall readiness. 'We kind of push the limits to see how uncomfortable we can get but still do our jobs,' Bushby said. 'Commanders should be able to feel confident that we are going to do something that nobody else is required to do and we are ready to perform.' 'The camaraderie built during the exercise was impactful because it was both lieutenants and everybody else,' Pinner said. 'It created that camaraderie for us in the Military Personnel Flight.' The 42nd Force Support Squadron conducts mortuary affairs training annually to ensure personnel remain proficient and mission-ready for real-world contingencies. 'We're the cradle to the grave,' said Bushby. 'People don't like to see me come out, but when things happen, I'm the point for that.' This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: 42nd ABW Mortuary Affairs Team practice thorough site recovery methods
Los Angeles Times
22-05-2025
- Los Angeles Times
Why fire cleanup workers face critical health risks in Altadena
A new study reveals a shocking truth: Only a fraction of fire cleanup workers in Altadena are protecting themselves against toxic debris from wildfires. Despite California regulations, a recent assessment found only a quarter wore gloves, a fifth used protective masks, and a mere tenth donned full Tyvek suits.
