Pentagon drops ball in handling of fallen soldiers

Back in my business reporting days, I covered a workshop intended to help small-business owners unravel the red tape of bidding for federal contracts.

Bidding for the contracts was an arduous process. But the men and women I interviewed told me it was worth the effort because winning a small contract could mean the difference between their small business thriving or dying.

After 9/11, it's probably even more complicated. That's not a bad thing. The federal government has a duty to know as much as possible about the people and companies with whom it does business.

Given all that, how did a company identified on a billboard as Friends Forever Pet Cremation Service get a government contract to cremate the remains of fallen service members? The crematorium uses separate crematories for humans and animals. About 200 service members have been cremated there since 2001.

This matter was discovered when an Army officer who works at the Pentagon traveled to Dover, Del., to attend the cremation of a military comrade. Offended by what he saw, the officer sent an e-mail to his superiors, including a photo of the crematorium sign. The e-mail was forwarded to Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates the next day.

Gates found "the site and signage insensitive and entirely inappropriate for the dignified treatment of our fallen," said Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell, as quoted by The Washington Post. "The families of the fallen have the secretary's deepest apology."

After 200 such cremations, what else was Gates to say?

The Air Force has ordered that use of the off-site crematory cease immediately, which is only appropriate but a bit like closing the barn door after the horse has escaped.

In a hastily arranged press conference Friday, Pentagon officials said they do not believe any humans were cremated in the pet crematory. Morrell went so far as to say, "We have absolutely no evidence whatsoever at this point that any human remains were at all ever mistreated."

But an interview with the crematory manager suggests that some service members responsible for escorting service members' remains merely dropped off bodies after paperwork was signed by crematory officials and returned the next day to sign for and pick up the remains.

Lt. Gen. Frank G. Klotz , director of the Air Force staff, said the Air Force is looking into whether it has "complete presence throughout this entire process," according to The Washington Post report. "Presence is very important."

It is unclear whether any military officer had visited either of the two crematories that hold the government contracts. The other facility is located within a funeral home.