US Air Force dumped 250+ soldiers' ashes in VA landfill

Linky

All I can say is what the fuck, and I'm sure it was some dickheads who ended up violating policies, not to mention this will be a PR nightmare for the Air Force,

This is also highly disrespectful to the soldiers and their loved ones who had their remains dumped in the trash like it was nothing.

Just in case there were any doubts that the army is better than the air force

“It would require a massive effort and time to recall records and research individually,” Jo Ann Rooney, the Pentagon’s acting undersecretary for personnel, wrote in a Nov. 22 letter to Rep. Rush D. Holt (D-N.J.).

maybe you shouldn't have dumped them in a fucking landfill in the first place then. The fact that they're bitching and moaning about how much trouble it would be to right things after showing so much blatant disrespect for troops is what really bothers me. When Rooney passes away I say we just cremate him and flush him down a toilet like a dead fish.

Ooh, ouch. Bad move.

First they force you to fight in unjust wars, then they dump your ashes in a landfill? I love America. This is truly the best country in the world.

Satyr000 said:

First they force you to fight in unjust wars, then they dump your ashes in a landfill? I love America. This is truly the best country in the world.

The airforce is just one branch of the military. Judging an entire country by that one branch of one part of the country is just, well, unbelievably stupid. Also "they force you to fight in unjust wars"? What, you mean like a draft? That hasn't been since the Vietnam war. Nobody in America is forced to join the military (actually, joining the military these days tends to be a nightmare since there are much higher requirements, especially with the dreaded MEPS). Now compare that to Finland where you're required to serve a manditory 6 months in the Finnish Defense Force.

Holy shit. Talk about disrespect. Seriously, what shithole made the desicion of doing that? This is just total disregard of humans. Damn. I just got no words for this. This is absolutely the worst crime to be committed. Fuck the US air force.

Glad I live in Canada and not there.

Satyr000 said:

First they force you to fight in unjust wars, then they dump your ashes in a landfill? I love America. This is truly the best country in the world.

You have a choice today to go on tour when in the military.

I don't hold much regard for human remains, but I'm surprised they just didn't dump the ashes in a whole somewhere on military property. It seems like a bigger effort to dump them in a landfill.

Satyr000 said:

First they force you to fight in unjust wars, then they dump your ashes in a landfill? I love America. This is truly the best country in the world.

Not to mention a handful did this when they knew they shouldn't.

Craigs said:

I love it when people judge an entire country by dumb shit done by only one small part of it.

Its not the entire country that I have an issue with. Its the corrupt government and the people in our military that would even suggest that the ashes of our fallen soldiers in a landfill. These same people will tell you how great we are while proving time and time again they are a bunch of hypocrites.

America's arrogant, and thats what bugs me.

But this is disgusting, and blatant disregard towards those people.

I honestly don't see what's wrong with this. They're already dead. You can't show disrespect to a dead person because they're not a person anymore.

You're right - let's go shit in that landfill!!!! And let's all forgive Chris Wright!!!!!!!

Seriously, though, don't be stupid.

crashhelper said:

I honestly don't see what's wrong with this. They're already dead. You can't show disrespect to a dead person because they're not a person anymore.

It's something that the military, of all people, shouldn't do.

I ask when I'm dead that I be stripped of all usable organs and then the bones be cremated and thrown outside. I don't give a fuck about bodies, I give about life. But the people who's those ashes belonged to expected the military to dispose of them with a sliver of dignity. Of course, American government treats it's handicapped veterans like trash, so something like this doesn't surprise me.

It's a dark day when fallen heroes' remains are thrown in a landfill, but a man who murdered thousands of innocent people(Bin Laden) had his remains ritually buried at sea in accordance with Islamic tradition...by our own military.

I'm not really surprised. The military does a shitty job at running their own cemeteries and taking care of their dead in general. Hell, I figure this has happened before.

Vordakk said:

It's a dark day when fallen heroes' remains are thrown in a landfill, but a man who murdered thousands of innocent people(Bin Laden) had his remains ritually buried at sea in accordance with Islamic tradition...by our own military.

it's also an insanely long day, i gotta say.

I doubt the dead care too much about the situation. This is however indeed tragic for the families of those who were lost. What a boneheaded thing the air force has done.

Satyr000 said:

First they force you to fight in unjust wars, then they dump your ashes in a landfill? I love America. This is truly the best country in the world.

Exactly how are you "forced"? The USA no longer has conscription, and no modern country that still has it uses conscript troops on foreign missons anymore. Plus, you'd be appalled with what Armies in general can get away with, even in peacetime (e.g. there's even an acceptable limit of casualties during bootcamp and peacetime training, under which none would care).

Then again the article doesn't say how far back the practice went, so I don't know if wars fought up to the Vietnam war (the last war the USA fought with conscripts) are included. However after that the USA Army and all of its branches are 100% volunteer-professional.

Speaking of which, I would like to know how many "Red blooded Americans" would accept bringing back conscription so they could be sent to places like Afghanistan and Iraq NOT with that "$20000 upfront and $70000 by the end of your service" deal bullshit, but with a $10-a-month soldier's pay -just enough for the razor blades and toilet paper, like in WW2, Korea and Vietnam-. I'm sure they'd just draft-dodge and take their candy asses to Canada, once again.

Shame on them.

Vordakk said:

It's a dark day when fallen heroes' remains are thrown in a landfill, but a man who murdered thousands of innocent people(Bin Laden) had his remains ritually buried at sea in accordance with Islamic tradition...by our own military.

Please don't politicize this.

Does it make me a terrible person that I actually laughed when I read the thread title?

hardcore_gamer said:

Does it make me a terrible person that I actually laughed when I read the thread title?

Though I don't see what's funny myself, not really. You weren't the one to carelessly dispose of the remains of loved ones and friends on a landfill.

As if the military needed another reason to be pissed off at the government.

Why the hell would anyone authorize a third party to dispose of ashes in the first place?

Vordakk said:

It's a dark day when fallen heroes' remains are thrown in a landfill, but a man who murdered thousands of innocent people(Bin Laden) had his remains ritually buried at sea in accordance with Islamic tradition...by our own military.

I'm pretty sure that's wrong but alright.

620. * It is obligatory to bury a dead body in the ground, so deep that its smell does not come out and the beasts of prey do not dig it out, and, if there is a danger of such beasts digging it out then the grave should be made solid with bricks, etc.

621. If it is not possible to bury a dead body in the ground, it may be kept in a vault or a coffin, instead.

622. The dead body should be laid in the grave on its right side so that the face remains towards the Qibla.

623. * If a person dies on a ship and if there is no fear of the decay of the dead body and if there is no problem in retaining it for sometime on the ship, it should be kept on it and buried in the ground after reaching the land. Otherwise, after giving Ghusl, Hunut, Kafan and Namaz-e-Mayyit it should be lowered into the sea in a vessel of clay or with a weight tied to its feet. And as far as possible it should not be lowered at a point where it is eaten up immediately by the sea predators.

624. If it is feared that an enemy may dig up the grave and exhume the dead body and amputate its ears or nose or other limbs, it should be lowered into sea, if possible, as stated in the foregoing rule.

Anyway, this entire situation is pretty sick.

Ralphis said:

I'm pretty sure that's wrong but alright.



Anyway, this entire situation is pretty sick.

I always thought that was a weird explanation. I mean, he wasn't a viking.

Ralphis said:

I'm pretty sure that's wrong but alright.

Pentagon officials said that bin Laden's body was handled in accordance with Muslim traditions, which involves ritual washing, shrouding and burial within 24 hours after death. Whether or not that's complies with the letter of Islamic law wasn't the point, dude. The point was this: Why were the remains of a mass murderer given any respect whatsoever? Why do we owe a terrorist a nice funeral? They should've pissed down the corpse's throat and then fed him to mongrel dogs. I don't recall Hitler getting a fancy burial after he gassed 6 million people.

Vordakk said:

Pentagon officials said that bin Laden's body was handled in accordance with Muslim traditions, which involves ritual washing, shrouding and burial within 24 hours after death. Whether or not that's complies with the letter of Islamic law wasn't the point, dude. The point was this: Why were the remains of a mass murderer given any respect whatsoever? Why do we owe a terrorist a nice funeral? They should've pissed down the corpse's throat and then fed him to mongrel dogs. I don't recall Hitler getting a fancy burial after he gassed 6 million people.

Poor dogs...they don't deserve to be treated that way.

Vordakk said:

We should have desecrated his corpse in a way that would make the rest of the world hate us even more and make us look like complete dickheads and might even piss off many islamic people!

Good God you're stupid.

Vordakk said:

Why were the remains of a mass murderer given any respect whatsoever? Why do we owe a terrorist a nice funeral? They should've pissed down the corpse's throat and then fed him to mongrel dogs.

Maybe it's because a civilized society shouldn't stoop down to Islamic pettiness and desecrate a corpse to humiliate a nation.