Airmen deployed to Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations are dedicated to helping prepare fallen service members for their final resting place.
A group of these airmen at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, recently learned how to prepare a full body wrap, which is one way to honor fallen service members who may not otherwise be viewable.
The body wrap allows the families of such service members to have an open casket at a funeral or memorial service.
The intricate process takes three to five hours to complete. The airmen practiced on a training mannequin, placing the mannequin in a plastic sheet and then wrapping filament tape tightly around it from head to foot, ensuring all areas of the plastic were covered.
An airman then pinned a cotton sheet in fingertip increments; once it was fully pinned, the airmen repeated the process with a green wool blanket using pins at two fingertip increments.
When a service member in a full body wrap is casketed, their uniform, adorned with their medals and ribbons, is draped over the wrap, reflecting their service to the nation.
The airmen participating in the training event provide assistance to Danielle Wilk, Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Port Mortuary branch chief, and her coworkers, all licensed mortuary specialists. Wilk gave them feedback at the conclusion of the training.
