US Army tests battlefield temporary interment procedures

The US Army recently conducted Phase II of Operation Dragon Covenant in North Carolina to test procedures for large-scale, temporary battlefield burials. The exercise involved engineers, fatality management specialists, preventive medicine teams, and chaplains to evaluate how quickly temporary graves can be prepared during high-intensity combat.

This training addresses a shift in potential future conflict scenarios. While air superiority allowed for the rapid evacuation of remains during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army noted that future large-scale combat operations may not provide the same capabilities. The primary goal of the exercise was to ensure that modern earthmoving equipment can meet rapid timelines while preserving remains in an intact state. This preservation is critical for allowing forensic and anthropological teams to later identify and repatriate fallen soldiers once hostilities conclude.