A recent Pentagon report released on March 18 reportedly exposed ethical issues within the military medical examiner’s system.
In one report, the Pentagon’s inspector general found that the system responsible for performing autopsies on military personnel and others who died under federal jurisdiction routinely stored organs such as brains and hearts without informing families. , sometimes found in storage against the express wishes of their families. report.
The inspector general’s investigation found that in more than 200 autopsies between 2006 and 2022, the military failed to record the wishes of the families in more than half of them. The report also states that in 41% of cases where the military recorded family wishes, the family did not comply with those wishes.
“AFMES officials said that if organs were stored during an autopsy, the coroner must store them in formalin for at least two weeks before examining or shipping them. The organs stored in the “It stipulates that it must be kept in a room,” the report states. (Related: Defense official says European munitions production is pushing the US into a corner. That’s nonsense, experts say)
“Once the coroner has completed the autopsy report, in most cases AFMES officials should turn over the organs to the Air Force Mortuary Operations Office (AFMAO) for final disposition. AFMAO personnel will then send the organs to the funeral home. It is expected that organs will be disposed of in accordance with the next of kin’s instructions, including transport, burial, cremation, or retirement at sea.”
Military medical examiners frequently do not notify families of hundreds of organs removed during autopsies (including people’s brains and hearts), or in some cases hide them from family members, according to a watchdog report. It is said that he was kept against his will. https://t.co/pFaSiGLm8U
— NBC News (@NBCNews) March 23, 2024
Pentagon officials said 553 organs from 433 people are being stored at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. according to Go to NBC News. The military has not contacted families directly, but is urging those who believe their loved one’s remains may be in storage to send emails asking for their remains to be returned.
The inspector general found that this practice had persisted for years due to inconsistent procedures for managing and documenting organs removed during autopsies.
The investigation revealed that there was a failure to record relatives’ wishes regarding what to do with their loved one’s remains, and many wishes were not honored. For example, in a 2010 incident, it was found that despite requests to have the organs cremated and sent to a specific location, the organs were never cremated and remained in storage, the report said. There is. According to NBC News, the Pentagon has promised reforms, including updating its tracking system, to prevent such ethics violations in the future.
The Daily Caller has reached out to the Pentagon for comment, but has not yet received a response.
