McChord Airmen ensure care to families of fallen Airmen

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Keoni Chavarria
  • 62nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. --  Dealing with death can be a difficult experience, but here at McChord Field, both the mortuary affairs and casualty assistance offices are on constant standby to help families organize all of the decisions they must make when an Airman passes.

With a rotating schedule of chaplains and officers to perform next of kin notifications, the mortuary affairs and casualty assistance offices ensure families get all of their survivor benefit entitlements and burial benefits.

The process of making sure this happen starts with the Air Force Virtual Record of Emergency Data.

This is where the offices gain all of the information needed to contact the family member. The Air Force states that it is crucial for every Airman to keep their vRED up to date to allow both offices to identify and notify the next of kin as soon as possible.

"The vRED is the piece of paper that tells me and the Air Force Personnel Center who we are going to notify if something were to happen," said Karen Van Pelt, 627th Force Support Squadron casualty assistance representative and survival benefits plan counselor. "It gives us information such as the beneficiaries.

According to Van Pelt, at one time, when the officers went to make the notifications, 95 percent of the people didn't live at the addresses indicated on their vRED.

The vRED can be found through the Air Force Portal at www.my.af.mil

The casualty assistance office is in charge of next of kin notifications and the administrative paper work side of the process.

"If there is an active duty death, and their next of kin live in this area, I assist them with all of their benefits," said Van Pelt. "We also take care of the casualty report to the AFPC notifying that we have had an active duty death."

Van Pelt's area of responsibility stretches from northern Oregon to western Washington. She is also responsible for the family member notifications in other areas of the world.

If an Airman were to die while assigned to Joint Base Lewis-McChord, she will coordinate with the organizations at the closest base to the next of kin to have them notified.

The casualty assistance office is in charge of filing the survivor benefit plan, and filing reports for the Defense Casualty Information Processing System.

The survivor benefit plan is a monthly payment for a retiree's spouse that can pay up to 55 percent of a retirees pay after they have passed.

"At one time, widows believed that after their spouses passed away, the retirement pay will continue, so they will have to make a choice to have a survivor benefit plan before they retire," said Van Pelt.

When deployed, injured or ill service members are also under the care of the casualty assistance office. The casualty assistance office will create a report for their conditions anywhere from 14 to 30 days depending on the service member's condition.

The report is used to continue or discontinue their entitlements when deployed, and to avoid an error in pay and debt.

The mortuary affairs office is responsible for taking care of the arrangements of the body and works with other organizations on base such as the McChord Field Honor Guard. They also work with the next of kin to make burial decisions. 

"We ensure that entitlements and honors are provided to fallen Airmen," said Tech. Sgt. Jacqueline Cunningham, 627th FSS mortuary affairs technician. "As a team, we make sure that the family of an Airman receives their funeral entitlements, their expenses, the preparation and disposition of remains, and that they receive the appropriate honors."

The mortuary affairs office is also in charge of inspecting the body to ensure that it is properly prepared, along with searching and recovering bodies if an incident were to happen.

A team of 11 Airmen are on standby in case of any emergencies such as a mass casualty. They are required to train at least once a year to stay certified.

"Currently, our area of responsibility is McChord Field Airmen or an incident involving an Air Force plane in this area," said Cunningham. "However, we are working on trying to create more joint efforts."

Death is not an easy process to navigate through, but for Cunningham, it's about bringing closure to the families of fallen Airman.

"In a way it's daunting, but it's an honor, and a privilege to provide the help to someone, and fulfilling that sense of duty," said Cunningham.

For more information, the mortuary affairs office is located in building 100, room 1014 in suite 1022, contact them at (253)-982-0135. The casualty assistance office is located in building 100, room 1024, contact them at (253)-982-3821.