MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- The 42nd Force Support Squadron mortuary affairs office supports fallen service members and their families, handling funeral operations, travel plans, the organization of the Honor Guard and financial expenses while providing the utmost honors.
“This is one of the most honorable missions that we do in the Air Force,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Diana Hall, 42nd FSS mortuary affairs operations officer. “It’s a privilege to be part of bringing closure to a family and that service member. It’s hard to say that there’s a best part because the loss of anyone is always a challenge, and you go through several different stages [of grief] with these families.”
Hall went on to say mortuary affairs might not be a job that everyone can do but feels honored to do it.
As part of their services to fallen service members and their families, mortuary affairs prepares the member, whether they are going to be buried or cremated, if they will be transported to a National Cemetery or anything related to service arrangements.
“At the end of the day this is the last glimpse that this family is going to have of the Air Force, and I think it’s really important for us to bring that closure to them the best possible way for them,” said Hall.
Christine Bushby, 42nd FSS mortuary affairs technician, has 27 years of experience in this field, and recalled an EF-3 tornado that hit the about five miles north of Prattville, Ala., on April 15, 2011, one of 45 tornadoes that ripped through the state in a 24-hour period.
Two days following the event, Bushby received a call confirming the loss of an Airman in the area.
Two other family members of this member’s household were killed that night due to the tornado, to include a retired veteran. Several other family members were injured, and unable to attend the funerals of their family members due to being hospitalized.
“They would not have been able to go to any funerals for their family members, but we had people on Honor Guard who got permission to go film the service for the family,” Bushby said.
Bushby added they had a lot of help from people around the base, and it was something good to see after experiencing the wreckage and devastation the tornados caused. To this day, this event still affects Bushby.
“The Air Force family is small, and you cross paths with people more than once in your career,” she said. “I didn’t know this family until that day, but I still keep in touch with them. I’ve seen these girls grow up through their mom and Facebook, so it’s kind of bittersweet.”
The services provided by mortuary affairs is executed with dignity, compassion and honor, said Bushby, ensuring U.S. Airmen are honored respectfully and in a timely manner. For more information on mortuary affairs and the services it provides, visit https://www.mortuary.af.mil/