Tech Orders,

File: aacep_18.txt
Page: 18
Total Pages: 59

18
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deployed from HQ APHASIC to SAW to become the CENTAF Mortuary
Assistance Team. Led by Major Keith A. Howell, the team set up
operations at Dhahran AB because of its status as the primary
aerial port in theater. The team was responsible for the
identification, processing, and coordination of onward movement of
remains to the Port Mortuary at Dover AFB, Delaware and for
providing guidance to the sites. The team immediately set out to
acquire the necessary equipment, supplies, and space to complete
.
In August, the team began sending out forms, guidance, and
Supplies to the sites. By taking a proactive approach to the
mortuary program, the team members helped ensure the people in the
field were well-trained and possessed the equipment needed to
handle casualties. Once the team bad established their compound on
Dhahran AB, they get out to visit the sites to offer training to
the Prime RIBS team . Each of the sites received a Mini-Morgue kit
to Establish their own remains processing capability. Although the
sites were well-prepared for casualties, questions remained
surrounding issues such as contaminated remains and the transfer of executive agency to the Army.34
The existing Department of Defense policy stated that the Air
Force was responsible for the current death program and would
process all remains in theater through Dhahran to Dover AFB. Then
hostilities broke out, the Army would become the executive agent
and assume overall responsibility for processing remains and give
guidance and direction. The joint service nature of the mortuary
program meant frequent inter-service discussions for Major Howell
and his staff.

Engineering and Services Challenges.

Each beddown site presented different demands for E & S
personnel, but several challenges were common to nearly all the
sites. On paper, support forces were supposed to deploy before the
aircraft arrived. In the real world crisis of August 1990, the
aircraft deployed first. Both Prime BEEF and RIBS teams had to
play "catch-up" at nearly every site. The first pilots and
aircrews, who were accustomed to arriving at a base with living and
working areas already constructed, were on their own at several
locations. They had to find billeting accommodations, parking
areas and refueling capabilities, etc. At Al Dhafra, F-16 pilots
from Shaw AFB slept under the wing of their aircraft when they
first arrived. While pilots took Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs) with
them, they quickly located alternate sources of food, either a
local hotel, military dining hall, or catered. However, the
terrorism threat diminished their initial inclination to find
alternatives to MREs. By not deploying before the aircraft and
maintenance personnel, the engineers had to erect facilities with
little time for planning. Engineers were pressured from the time
they landed to begin constructing facilities. At several sites,
the base population was living in gymnasiums, abandoned caravan
trailers, hangars, or auditoriums. Some of these were not air