MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.-- Airmen from the 42nd Force Support Squadron recently participated in a search and recovery exercise on March 28, designed to simulate the aftermath of a tornado strike, preparing them for the emotional and technical demands of mortuary affairs.
The three-hour exercise, held at the Maxwell-Gunter Annex’s laser tag facility, featured four search zones filled with simulated debris, personal effects, and simulated human remains. Airmen worked in teams to locate, identify, tag, and recover items ranging from earrings to full-body mannequins.
“This particular exercise was if a tornado hit, Maxwell AFB and we had to basically search and recover people’s remains,” said 2nd Lt. Shelby Pinner, 42nd FSS career development officer. “We have very specific procedures and a way of doing it, and so we go out in teams.”
Pinner noted that while the scenario focused on a tornado, the training had broader applications.
“These skills are applicable in various situations, including aircraft incidents and other catastrophic events,” Pinner said.
The exercise also emphasized the importance of documentation. Each find was carefully bagged, tagged, and recorded.
“You have to be specific but vague,” Pinner said. “If you find a watch, you just say ‘gold watch.’ But when you're labeling body parts, you want to be a little more specific, so if you find a finger, you’d say, a digit.”
The exercise was developed and led by Christine Bushby, 42nd FSS mortuary readiness and plans specialist, who has nearly 28 years of experience in the field.
“You have to be very meticulous,” Bushby said. “You can come across remains, personal effects something that could potentially identify that person, if for whatever reason, they weren't visually identifiable or found.”
Airmen donned Tyvek suits and personal protective equipment as they navigated a dim, obstacle-filled environment meant to mimic a real-world disaster scene. A classroom briefing, held the day before, covered anatomy, disaster mental health, bioenvironmental hazard assessments, bloodborne pathogens and mortuary procedures.
“You see a drawing or rendition of the body parts, but when you're actually searching, it's going to look a little bit different,” Bushby said. “Debris may be covering it, or there may be damage or trauma to the tissue. So we have to be very meticulous, we ultimately want to recover as much as possible for the families.”
Bushby, who has responded to major disasters including the 2011 and 2019 Alabama tornadoes, when working for the state, emphasized that the work can be emotionally taxing but profoundly meaningful.
“When they understand the bigger picture, that we are working to recover someone’s loved one, someone’s son or daughter they realize it’s about something greater than themselves,” Bushby said. “They start to think, if the roles were reversed, they’d want others to do the same for them.”
The exercise was observed by representatives from the 42nd Inspector General’s office, who evaluated the teams adherence to mortuary affairs protocols and overall readiness.
“We kind of push the limits to see how uncomfortable we can get but still do our jobs,” Bushby said. “Commanders should be able to feel confident that we are going to do something that nobody else is required to do and we are ready to perform.”
“The camaraderie built during the exercise was impactful because it was both lieutenants and everybody else,” Pinner said. “It created that camaraderie for us in the Military Personnel Flight.”
The 42nd Force Support Squadron conducts mortuary affairs training annually to ensure personnel remain proficient and mission-ready for real-world contingencies.
“We’re the cradle to the grave,” said Bushby. “People don’t like to see me come out, but when things happen, I’m the point for that.”