U.S. Army Prepares for Mass Burial in High-Casualty Situations

The U.S. Army has conducted training to prepare for the burial of troops in temporary mass graves, a practice not used since the Korean War. The training involved soldiers from the 3rd Corps Sustainment Command and the 20th Engineer Brigade located at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Military chaplains and other support personnel participated, utilizing diggers and excavators to practice preserving bodies for identification and repatriation.

This shift in training comes as the Army anticipates scenarios where large-scale casualties could prevent immediate evacuation of deceased soldiers, contrasting with past conflicts like Iraq and Afghanistan. According to the military, in such situations, it becomes challenging for specialized teams to bury or conduct religious rituals for each individual. Operations may still be underway, necessitating mass interments. Commanders at all levels are tasked with ensuring the identification and care of soldiers’ remains.

The Army’s guidelines specify that a temporary internment plot consists of five trenches, each capable of holding 100 casualties. During the drills in North Carolina, soldiers used bulldozers and vehicles to prepare these plots, completing the task in roughly one hour and 15 minutes per plot. The training demonstrated the capability to temporarily bury up to 2,400 soldiers within a 24-hour period using eight bulldozers and four excavators.

Sergeant 1st Class Delbert Ruede from the 3rd Corps Sustainment Command explained, “This exercise allowed us to take a critical look at how we respect, honor, and systematically manage our fallen in a high-intensity conflict. If we went to war tomorrow, we would be making this up as we went along. What we are doing here is taking a scientific, field-tested approach so that we can maintain positive control and respectfully care for our fallen.”

This exercise was the first in over two decades where U.S. Army chaplains and religious affairs personnel received training for battlefield gravedigging. This preparedness aims to ensure respectful and efficient handling of casualties in potential future conflicts.