woops, pentagon gets busted cremating soldiers at a pet crematorium.. WTF??????

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/05/09/military.cremation/?iref=hpmostpop

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Military cremation procedures have been changed after a soldier complained that his buddy's remains were taken to what appeared to be a "pet crematorium," the Pentagon announced Friday. The Pentagon says that the facility had separate incinerators for animals and humans(of course they did) but that the signage and location of the facility in a warehouse district near Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, did not show the appropriate respect due military personnel who have died while serving their country.

"The mere fact that they are in a facility that also performs this same service for pets is, in the estimation of [Defense Secretary Robert Gates] and, I daresay, almost all the men and women you see walking around this building in uniform today, not appropriate for their service and sacrifice," Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said.

The Torbert Funeral Home also displays a sign advertising the "Friends Forever" pet cremation service.

"We have absolutely no evidence whatsoever at this point that any human remains were, at all, ever mistreated; were ever not cremated where they were supposed to be cremated," Morrell said. "That said, the secretary believes that it is inappropriate, even if though permissible under the rules and regulations, to cremate our fallen, our heroes in a facility that also cremates pets."

All troops' remains arrive from the battlefield to the Dover Air Force Base Port Mortuary, which does not have its own crematorium. The Associated Press said Dover contracts with Torbert and Pippens Funeral Home for cremations.

Pippens uses a crematorium at the funeral home that is used only for human remains, AP reported.

A Dover representative visited one of Torbert's crematoriums this week, Bill Torbert, president of Torbert Funeral Chapel, told AP. Torbert said the representative was satisfied that nothing was amiss.

However, Pentagon Spokesman Geoff Morrell said cremations will no longer be done at mortuary facilities that are not part of funeral homes.

He said the new policy, ordered by Gates, will require all cremation be done at facilities connected with funeral homes that deal with only human remains.

In addition, Gates has ordered a comprehensive review governing cremation and remains at all mortuary facilities used by the military.

"The families of the fallen have the secretary's deepest apology," Morrell said Friday evening.

Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, a member of the Senate's Armed Services Committee, sent a letter to Gates on Friday calling for a review.

"This report is very disturbing and our men and women in uniform who make the ultimate sacrifice must be treated with dignity," he wrote

 

I'd be interested in knowing how the original contract was entered into. Was it put out to bid? And the lowest bidder won? Which department was responsible?

On a personal level I have no problem with it as hygenic means of disposal, but while we are paying outrageous compensation to Halliburton subsidiaries and private contractors, we are disposing of the bodies of veterans through the lowest bidder, while feeding a national hysteria labeling all that wear the uniform as heroic warriors. Doesn't quite jibe.

 

If not heroic warriors then what would you call them in a war zone?

 

Do you cremate heroic warriors in pet crematoriums? Or do you dispose of collateral loss that way? Young poor kids that just fill the numbers? How many private contractors were disposed of in that way?

 

:lol:

LOL. That's a good one garderner.

Typical of the asinine thinking prevalent in our military these days...

No wonder we can't win wars anymore.

 

No. I was asking in general do you believe the soldiers are heroic on a individual basis when putting their lives on the line during combat trying to bring chaos to stability in Iraq?

 

Chaos to stability, where is that happening?

 

Right. You're asking pimply 19-year old recruits fresh from high school to bring order to chaos and instability in a situation that our government created and encouraged to begin with. LOL.

Like I said, this mentality is typical of the asinine military-political mindset that our country has been gripped with.

 

lol

 

Factually they have not physically murdered anyone. So my answer is no.

 

Heroism can only be conferred on an individual bases. The putting on of a uniform and abiding unthinkingly to another's orders can not confer heroic status on anyone. Heroism by definition speaks of individual valor and choices, not blind group mentality.

 

They did not pose the quest for war on fabrications? They are not responsible for declaring war? What exactly is/was their role?

 

I would find it interesting to poll our active forces in Iraq and Afghanastan, as to their reasons for enlisting.

 

As well as I know it was Saddam who's actions defying the 17 U.N. resolutions, ignoring the no-fly zones and not letting inspectors in to monitor his weapons that let congress give Bush the authority to go in along with dozens of other coalition countries. The U.N. voted to approve. Am I right? It was Saddams irresponsibility that led us to invade. Not Bush.

 

No it was Colin Powell's pictures of porta potties that lead us and the UN into this war. We believed him, and he sold out. I watched those hearings. Sadaam allowed the inspectors in and they said there were no WMD, perhaps if you repeat it often enough we'll buy it like we did Bush and Cheney telling us over and over again at speeches that 09/11 was because of Iraq...won't work this time.

You want more dumb poor kids to sign up to fight the towel heads. Thing is they aren't aware that their sacrifices fund all those vacation homes in Dubai

 

lets go destroy theyre country throw the wholre fuckin world into chaos just in case they might have 1 bomb we dont know about (which they didnt) meanwhile whos policing us and all the fucking bombs we got?

they by your definition should have every fucking right to march in hgere and demand we disarm every bomb we got and then allow them to inspect us daily


but noooo you believe we are superiur so desserve to have destructive power while noone else has the right to even a reasonable deffence

bush was a mass murderer before he even stole the election (treason)
and now has killed thousands more and destroyerd the stability of the world economicaly and politicaly

he must be jailed

 

Let's talk about the no fly zone, it actually contained Sadaam. The US released this war and it's unrest, the no fly zone had him contained, far cheaper than this war has.

 

Really? A mass murderer? Whom exactly did he kill before the election? Give facts please on this hypothetical allegation. Also I never said we were superior in any comment above.

 

Why don't we get back to why brave warriors are being cremated by pet crematoriums? I think that is the main purpose of this thread. Why is it that pictures of flag draped coffins are off media, but the bodies of these people can be disposed of by pet crematoriums? Why is that?

 

Someone justify why dead soldiers are being cremated by pet crematoriums. What does that say for the value we put on their lives?