The US Army has conducted an exercise practising how to dig a mass burial trench capable of holding hundreds of fallen soldiers in conflict. For the first time in decades, the drill was held to rehearse how troops would respond if they suffered a high number of losses in battle.
Exercise at Fort Bragg
The exercise took place at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and involved the 3rd Corps Sustainment Command and the 20th Engineer Brigade, along with religious figures. The mass burial grounds would serve as a temporary solution if the military lost hundreds of soldiers during an active conflict. Afterwards, the goal would be to identify the well-preserved bodies and repatriate them to the United States.
Respecting the fallen
'This exercise allowed us to take a critical look at how we respect, honour, and systematically manage our fallen in a high-intensity conflict,' Sergeant 1st Class Delbert Ruede said. 'If we went to war tomorrow, we would be making this up as we went along. What we are doing here is taking a scientific, field-tested approach so that we can maintain positive control and respectfully care for our fallen.'
The Army added that 2,400 soldiers could be buried daily using the techniques practised. Faith leaders in the military who took part said that chaplains may not be able to stop for graveside services during active combat – especially if they do not know the fallen soldiers' religion. After a discussion with other faith leaders, it was decided that blessing potential mass burial sites ahead of time in conflict would help assure families that their loved ones were buried with care.
Pentagon asks NATO to tone down rhetoric
This week, the Pentagon also asked NATO nations to 'tone down' their rhetoric about threats from Russia. Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia were three of the nations told to keep their voices down, according to Reuters. In a statement, the Pentagon said: 'Private conversations among allies are just that, so we will not comment on these allegations.'
