910th FSS honors the fallen at AFMAO Published Sept. 6, 2018 By Senior Airman Noah J. Tancer 910th Airlift Wing Public Affairs DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Delaware -- Col. Dan Sarachene, commander of the 910th Airlift Wing , 910th AW Command Chief Robert Potts, and Capt. Danielle Williams, the 910th Force Support Squadron’s sustainment and readiness flight commander, visited 17 910th FSS Reserve Citizen Airmen deployed to Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware on August 27-29. AFMAO’s mission is to fulfill the nation’s sacred commitment of ensuring dignity, honor and respect to the fallen and care, service and support to their families. The Youngstown Air Reserve Station Airmen worked in the Charles C. Carson Center for Mortuary Affairs and the Fisher House for Families of the Fallen on DAFB. The Airmen worked dignified transfers, sorted and cleaned personal effects, washed the deceased, dressed the remains into uniforms, casketed, maintained the Fisher House and assisted the fallen’s loved ones. The Airmen are tasked into three sections to work personal effects, family care and the fallen’s remains but are not permitted to work all three areas for a single fallen service member. The Airmen can also request to transfer duties if a task becomes too taxing. Due to the nature of the work, Airmen are required to attend at least one resilience event, two physical training classes and one workout on their own each week to strengthen their resilience. “They know I go over the top on resilience, and I will continue to do that because I can,” said Col. Dawn Lancaster, commander of AFMAO, with a quick smile. “It’s not all about resilience, about what they see and deal with here. That’s part of it, but it’s also about life.” AFMAO offers a wide variety of spiritual, mental and physical classes or events throughout the month. The AFMAO chaplain also offers pizza and conversation sessions each Thursday as the one class that doesn’t count toward the Airmen’s requirement, because attendance is usually high anyway. “What we have found about resilience is it’s about discussion,” said Lancaster. “When your folks leave here they will have our numbers, and our resources remain available to them if they ever feel they just want to talk to one of the chaplains, me or just someone who knows what they’re talking about.” YARS’s Airmen, including a few who had only been with the 910th FSS for a few months before deploying, represented the 910th AW by filling leadership positions and taking shifts to fill a required number of personnel needed on duty each day in case the AFMAO’s services are required. During their visit to AFMAO, YARS’s leadership coined many deserving Airmen and bought lunch for everyone. “It’s a hard job,” said Potts, “but it’s one that needs done. Your country and YARS can’t thank you enough.” The AFMAO deployment cycle is four years. This means the 910th FSS cannot deploy a group of Airmen to support the AFMAO mission again until 2020. However the Airmen can personally deploy or choose to spend their two-week temporary duty at AFMAO. Many of the Airmen commented on their respect for the AFMAO’s honorable mission and their appreciation of the equal treatment of reservists at DAFB. Through the whole visit, there was evident support and camaraderie between everyone at AFMAO. Some of the YARS Airmen said they will come back and assist the mission if permitted or needed. “I’m going to miss them when they leave in October,” said Lancaster, tearing up a little. “As I tell them, that’s the hardest part. Everything is just a rotation, and because of what we do here we get to know them all so well and then they leave me. They’re absolutely amazing, I’ll bring them back anytime.”