ADMINISTRATIVE DOCUMENTS/ITEMS

1. Casualty message report

2. Composite Health Care System registration form

3. Dental record

4. Medical record

5. Preliminary investigative report

6. DD Form 565 (Statement of Recognition)

7. DD Form 2064 (Certificate of Death Overseas)

8. DA Form 2984 (VSI/SI/Special Category Patient Report)

9. DA Form 3894 (Hospital Report of Death)

10. DA Form 3910 (Death Tag)

11. DA Form 4137 (Chain of Evidence/Property Form)

12. DA Form 5327-R (Bona Fide Dependent Declaration (Military))

13. SF 523 (Authorization for Autopsy)

14. SF 558 (Emergency Treatment Record)

15. SF 600 (Chronological Record of Medical Care)

16. Evidentiary material associated with the remains at the time of death, to
include clothing, professional equipment, medical devices, and personal effects

17. Release of jurisdiction by local national authorities. Administrative Documents and Evidentiary Items Needed to Process an Autopsy Under Forensic Investigation.

ABBREVIATIONS:

AME associate medical examiner

AOR area of responsibility

AR Army Regulation

CG, USAREUR/7A Commanding General, United States Army, Europe, and Seventh Army

DA Department of the Army

DMART Disaster Mortuary Affairs Response Team

DNA deoxyribonucleic acid

DOD Department of Defense

DODI Department of Defense instruction

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation

HQ USAREUR/7A Headquarters, United States Army, Europe, and Seventh Army

ID identification

JMAO joint mortuary affairs officer

LN local national

LRMC Landstuhl Regional Medical Center

MCIO military criminal investigative organization

MP military police

MTF military treatment facility

NOK next of kin

OAFME Office of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner

OAFRME Office of the Armed Forces Regional Medical Examiner

OIC officer in charge

PAD patient administration division

PE personal effects

POC point of contact

SAR search and recovery

SOP standing operating procedures

U.S. United States

USACIDC United States Army Criminal Investigation Command

USAMAA-E United States Army Mortuary Affairs Activity, Europe

USAREUR United States Army, Europe

USCENTCOM United States Central Command

USEUCOM United States European Command
Section II

TERMS:

antemortem
Before death.

Armed Forces Regional Medical Examiner

A board-certified forensic pathologist appointed by the Office of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner, with the concurrence
of the United States Army Surgeon General, to perform medicolegal (forensic) investigations in the USEUCOM and United
States Central Command (USCENTCOM) areas of responsibility (AOR). The Armed Forces Regional Medical Examiner is
responsible for investigating all forensic deaths in the USEUCOM and USCENTCOM AORs according to 10 USC 1471.

associate medical examiner

A hospital staff pathologist appointed by the Office of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner based on training, interest, and
experience to perform medicolegal (forensic) investigations in support of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System.

commingling

The intermixing of body fragments or segments from more than one body.

death packet

Official processing forms associated with the death of an active-duty soldier, family member, or civilian.

definitive identification

Positive identification of the deceased by conducting a forensic postmortem dental examination using antemortem records
performed by forensic odontologists (forensic dentists), by comparing postmortem and antemortem fingerprints, or by
conducting a DNA analysis using postmortem and antemortem specimens.

dentition

The character of a set of teeth.

Disaster Mortuary Affairs Response Team (DMART)

A multidisciplinary, multi-service team that provides members who are trained and experienced in forensic medical, dental,
criminalistic, photographic, and search-and-recovery techniques and can respond according to the particular death or
multiple-fatality event.

evidentiary material

Items associated with the remains at the time of death (for example, ligatures, weapons, medications, clothing, professional
equipment, personal effects, military identification card, “dog tags,” passport).

forensic death

Death due to no known clinically documented natural cause or causes. Death may be the result of an accident, suicide, or
homicide; have occurred under suspicious circumstances; or was sudden and unexpected.

medicolegal (forensic) investigation

A systematic process of gathering, recording, and preserving evidence and information for purposes of positive identification
of the deceased, documentation of trauma and preexisting conditions, and investigative correlations to include an
interpretation of injury patterns. The goal of a forensic investigation is to determine a cause and manner of death compatible
with the scene of death, terminal events, and the background of the deceased, and to assist with criminal and safety-board
investigations.

Office of the Armed Forces Regional Medical Examiner (OAFRME)

The office under the AFRME that is responsible for the administrative management of the medicolegal (forensic)
investigation in the USEUCOM and USCENTCOM areas of responsibility. To meet current civilian standards in forensic
medicine, a dedicated forensic assistant, a forensic photographer, and a backup network of associate medical examiners will
be assigned to the OAFRME.

positive identification

A process for determining the identity of the deceased by using one or more pieces of definitive identification (for example,
dental examination, fingerprints, DNA analysis). Positive identification may not be possible when the remains are severely
damaged, decomposed, burned, or fragmented with possible commingling of multiple remains.

postmortem

After death.