Pentagon Reverses Ban on Media Access to War Dead

The Department of Defense has reversed a George H.W. Bush-era ban on media access to war dead returning from fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Media will be granted access to what is called the “dignified transfer” of the remains of service members who died while serving in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

Access to photograph and film the caskets of war dead returning from overseas is contingent on the approval of immediate family. Air Force Staff Sgt. Phillip A Myers, 30, of Hopewell, VA was the first service member whose family members agreed to allow media to be present upon his return.

According to the Department of Defense, Myers died on April 4 near Helmand province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device, or IED. He was assigned to the 48th Civil Engineer Squadron, Royal Air Force Lakenheath, United Kingdom. His remains were returned to U.S. soil late in the night of April 5.

Sgt. Myers was awarded the Bronze Star at a March 19, 2008 Airman's call for efforts supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, and the Air Force-level 2008 Major General Eugene A. Lupia Awards military technician category for significant achievements.

The U.S. military characterizes a dignified transfer as the process of transferring the remains of military personnel killed in an overseas theater of operations from an aircraft to a waiting vehicle and then the Port Mortuary. Such transfers, although solemn and closely following military procedure, are not characterized as ceremonies. They are described by the Pentagon as the “movement of transfer case by a team of military personnel from the fallen member’s respective branch of service”.

Dignified transfers are conducted for every member of the U.S. military who dies in a theater of operations in the service of the United States. A senior ranking officer from the respective service presides over every transfer.

The change of policy for dignified transfers was announced in February, 2009 by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and officially enacted on April 5. Approximately 80 media requests for notification of dignified transfers were received by the Department of Defense after last week’s announcement of the policy change. The shift in policy represents a reversal of years of a media blackout on showing the return of war dead to U.S. soil.

Dignified transfers are conducted on an active aircraft ramp, at all hours and weather conditions.