The MA program starts at the unit level with search and recovery operations and continues until remains are returned to person authorized to direct disposition (PADD) and all personal effects (PE) are returned to the person eligible to receive effects (PERE).
Theater Sustainment Command (TSC) is the Army Service component commander’s major organization responsible to provide common-user logistics (CUL) within the TO. TSC is responsible for developing an operational level MA. Each unit is responsible for designating a search and recovery team to conduct search and recovery operations during the combat phase of operations. Unit commanders are responsible for the initial search and recovery operations within their AOR. Upon recovering remains the unit search and recovery team will evacuate those remains to the closest MA collection point (MACP). (FM4-20.64). …show more content…
The preferred method of evacuation is directly from the initial MACP to TMEP; however, the tactical situation may dictate that remains be evacuated through several MACPs before reaching the TMEP.
TSC commander together with the Joint Mortuary Affairs Office (JMAO) must produce a plan that places MA assets where they can best support both current and future operations within the JOA. This places an inherent responsibility upon the JMAO and TSC to ensure that MA assets are properly assigned to the time-phased force and deployment list (TPFDL) during the planning