Care and Disposition of Remains - Army Publishing Directorate ...

section. The PE section will inventory the PE and forward it to the SCMO appointed by the home station CAC. The PE
of a deceased or missing person found in the unit area within the operational area are collected, inventoried, and sent to
the SCMO appointed by the home station CAC. The PE will be sent by the most expeditious manner while maintaining
strict accountability. The SCMO at the home station will dispose of the PE as prescribed by paragraphs 20–12, 20–13,
and 20–14.
(2) When a PE depot is established. When a PE depot is established, PE on remains will be evacuated with the
remains through theater mortuary affairs evacuation channels to the preparing mortuary. The PE on the remains will be
separated from the remains and turned over to the PE depot. The PE of deceased and missing persons found in the
unit’s area in the operational area, will be inventoried by a SCMO appointed within theater and forwarded to the PE
depot for disposition. The PE found by the SCMO at home station will be forwarded to the PE depot for disposition as
prescribed by paragraphs 20–12, 20–13, and 20–14.
(3) When a depot has been established within the United States and within the theater of operation. When a depot
has been established within the United States and within the theater of operation, the PE will be transferred from the
depot in the theater of operation to the depot in the United States for processing.
20–3. Safeguarding PE
Extreme care will be taken to safeguard the PE of deceased and missing personnel. Every effort must be made to
prevent pilferage, damage, or loss. Instances of pilferage, tampering, or theft will be reported to the military police for
appropriate investigation at the time of discovery.
20–4. Inventory of PE
The SCMO will make a written inventory of all PE recovered or secured. Outside theaters of operation the inventory
will be on DA Form 54 and within theaters of operations on DD Form 1076 (Military Operations Record of Personal
Effects of Deceased Personnel). The SCMO may attach the DA Form 4160 (Patient’s Personal Effects and Clothing
Record), prepared by an Army medical treatment facility (MTF) when securing PE from an Army MTF. The
information on the DA Form 4160 should not be copied to the DA Form 54 or DD form 1076. Procedures for
completing the DA Form 54 are located in DA Pam 638–2. Procedures for completing DD Form 1076 are located in
Joint Pub 4–06, Joint Tactics, Techniques and Procedures for Mortuary Affairs in Joint Operations.
20–5. Mail
Unopened letters, packages, or other correspondence sent to the deceased or missing person will be returned unopened
to the sender as prescribed by U.S. postal service regulations.
20–6. Safeguarding military information
All documents and any sealed material in the PE will be reviewed to ensure proper safeguarding of military
information. Classified material and material warranting classification will be withdrawn and submitted to the intelligence
officer for review and proper disposition. Material suitable for release will be returned by the intelligence officer
for disposition as PE.
20–7. PE retained by law enforcement authorities
PE may be retained as evidence by civil, military law enforcement, or investigative authorities until no longer needed.
a. Civil law enforcement agency. Civil law enforcement agencies have their own policies and procedures for
disposing of evidence, to include PE. The SCMO should advise the PERE that queries concerning PE held by
nonmilitary law enforcement agency should be sent to that agency. The SCMO will provide the PERE with the law
enforcement agency’s physical evidence custodian’s name, mailing address, and telephone number. The SCMO will not
request or accept PE from civil law enforcement agencies.
b. Military law enforcement agency. The SCMO will contact the physical evidence custodian of the military law
enforcement agency and advise the custodian that when PE is released as evidence, the PE will be turned over to the
SCMO for disposition as prescribed by Federal statute and Army regulations.
20–8. Sentimental PE
If requested by the PADD and the PERE consents, sentimental items (such as wedding bands, religious medals, and
lockets) that are absolutely associated to the individual will be released by the SCMO in time to be available for the
viewing, funeral, interment or cremation of the remains. Coordination will be made with medical personnel who have
custody of PE of persons who die in MTF to locate sentimental items.
20–9. Cleaning and laundering of items
All articles of clothing designated for shipment will be clean, and damaged items will be made presentable. Dry
cleaning or laundering of items of clothing is authorized at Government expense (AR 210–130, para 2–8b). Items that
cannot be made presentable (blood-stained clothing and so forth) will be destroyed.
AR 638–2 • 22 December 2000
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