Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) is calling for an independent investigation of the Air Force’s Inspector General (IG) following reports this week that the remains of fallen servicemen were mishandled at the Dover Air Force Base’s mortuary.
In a report, the Office of the Special Counsel blasted the Air Force’s Inspector General for failing to adequately acknowledge wrongdoing, a charge that McCaskill says brings into question whether the IG was “acting with an unbiased focus on the facts.”
“The IG may have acted to protect the Air Force at the expense of the facts.” McCaskill said in a statement. “Questions regarding the independence and credibility of an IG are of the gravest nature and must be quickly investigated and resolved.”
The Dover Air Force base is the U.S. entry point for the remains of servicemembers who die overseas.
The Office of Special Counsel’s report cites a litany of allegedly inappropriate behavior among the on-base mortuary’s personnel including losing body parts, dismembering a soldier’s body without familial consent, exposing staff to a body that could have been infected with tuburculosis and transporting military family’s fetal remains in plastic pails or cardboard containers.
The Air Force Inspector General’s office, who performed their own investigation, determined that, in many cases, guidelines prohibiting the controversial practices were not in place. The Air Force has thus made changes and disciplined two civilians and one military officer who worked in the mortuary.
McCaskill specifically addresses the disciplined individuals, echoing the Office of Special Council’s concern that they faced inadequate consequences. All three were reassigned, but none were fired.
The Missouri Democrat made the request in a letter sent to Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz and Air Force Secretary Michael Donley.
After the report was made public, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced that an independent panel would investigate the implementation of the new changes.