Locating, Analyzing, and Renaming the Lost Soldiers
Mariah K.A.Wilson
Accepting the loss of a fallen soldier is an experience many families around the world have become accustomed to. They grieve the space that their son, daughter, wife, husband, mother, or father once filled. For some, they will never know why or how death came upon their loved one, or even whether this soldier is actually dead. The tragedy of not knowing their loved one's fate is now declining with the help of forensic science used in the military. In order to improve the use forensics for this purpose military personnel must be trained in the newest practices. Recently developed forensics methods such as forensic analysis, CBRN forensics (chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear data), and forensic investigation of military records. These allow for special teams to locate and identify unnamed bodies, determine a soldier’s cause of death, and return them home, giving their families and friends a much-needed sense of closure. This project explores new developments in the field and the difference these practices can make in alleviating survivors’ uncertainty and pain.