Admin section honors fallen behind the scenes

  • Published
  • By Christin Michaud
  • AFMAO Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Behind three sets of double doors, three women in the Port Mortuary Division at the Charles C. Carson Center for Mortuary Affairs have an important behind-the-scenes roll of honoring American's Fallen.

The administrative staff, consisting of Deborah Murphy, Charlotte Smart and Cynthia Boye-Smith, is responsible for coordinating transportation for fallen service members on the way to their final resting place through commercial travel, contracted Kalitta flights and hearse drivers.

They also serve as a focal point for service liaisons for information related to each casualty.

Their role in admin begins with the notification of a casualty overseas. The first step is to create electronic and hard-copy records and case files for all fallen service members and DoD civilians.

The electronic record is created in the Mortuary Operations Management System, a software program designed specifically for the mortuary mission.

The process has come a long way since Charlotte Smart worked in the old facility in 1985.

Smart said they were just transitioning to computers when she left the mortuary after more than a decade of service.

Smart was reassigned during staff cuts, but jumped at the opportunity to come back in 2010.

It was an easy decision for her family because her husband told her, "You've never been happy since you left."

Cynthia Boye-Smith didn't know what to expect when she applied for a position at the port mortuary.

Today she looks back, sees her contribution and some of the things she's been able to experience in her position here.

One of the most rewarding experiences for Boye-Smith is the send off. When a fallen hero leaves the mortuary by hearse, personnel assigned here form up outside to pay their respects one final time before the heroes depart for their final resting places.

"It gives me chills, she said. "Makes me proud I got them to that point."

A lot of what they do is routine, but they never get complacent or take their role lightly because they have people depending on them.

Although they no longer have contact with families, and their desks are nestled deep within the walls of the facility, they each know they play an important role in ensuring the fallen receive dignity, honor and respect.

"It has been a tremendous experience for me," said Murphy, who started after 9/11. "It is an honor to know we do our best to give the families peace of mind when we are able to get the fallen heroes home quickly to their loved ones."