Jan 11, 2012 3:41 PM
92M Mortuary Affairs Specialist
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My daughter is going to BCT summer of this year and her mos is 92M, Mortuary Affairs Specialist. I have researched this but there just isn't a lot of information about this. I have been to youtube but other than that, I can't find much information. Can anyone give me any info on this job or know someone in this field that fill me in. Any information would be greatly appreciated. I am just a concerned parent and proud one also.
Mortuary affairs falls under quartermaster and AIT will be at Ft. Lee, VA. She will be in Charlie Company, which houses four MOSs, 92S (Shower/Laundry and Clothing Repair Specialist), 92R (Parachute Rigger), and 92L (Petrolwum Lab Specialist), in addition to 92M. Being a Mike is something you love or hate, and is definitely not something you choose just to do it. In the course you pretty much learn everything about the handling of remains, from field retrieval and excavation to funeral preparation to dealing with personal affects. The instructors are great and will keep an eye out on every soldier. Classes are small, about 10 people, and it is a joint service course (Marines were in the classes while I was there). During the first week of class she will go to the Richmond morgue. After every morgue visit there will be a mental health check and if at any point she is uncomfortable she will likely be ale to get out of the course. I think there are 2 morgue visits; the first is really just to see how you react in the situation because not everyone can deal with death. At Charlie she will have access to her phone whenever she is in the barracks on free time or on pass. She will go through phases as far as her weekend pass. The first weekend she will not have a pass. She'll have to stay at the company area, but there are games and a TV, lounge area, and she will be able to use her electronics. The next weekend she will have an on post pass. She will be able go around post with a battle buddy, so she can go bowling, to the PX and commissary, or wherever else she pleses that isn't off limits. She will have to be back by a pre-determined time for accountability formation. Class behavior and progress will determine when they get off post passes. There are are two types: off post and off post overnight. Off post means she is free to go within a 50 mile radius and has to be back by accountability formation. Off post overnight means she can go off post once released Saturday morning and does not have to be back until Sunday afternoon's accountability formation. Most soldiers will get a room at a nearby hotel just to get away. A normal day will be PT(5-6a), chow, class (8a-4p), chow, free time (6-9p), night formation (9p). She will also go to the field for a week.
I was at Ft. Lee February-May 2010, so things may have changed, but that's generally how it is.
Oh, and if she is active duty there is a 95% chance she will get stationed at Ft. Lee. When I was there all of the active duty soldiers were stationed there and most deployed within 5 months. Deployments for Mikes are only 6 months though.
that was really informative as im thinking about 92m. can you tell me what the drop out rate is? like how many ppl have mental health issues before finishing ait? and hows permenant party? is that like a desk job unless your deployed or what? and how often would a 92m be deployed? im trying to cover my bases before i think about commiting myself. btw im looking at this as a reclass option.
From my experience no one had mental health issues prior to graduating from ait, and I was the only one in my class who didn't complete the course. That's the only experience I can speak from and cannot provide specific numbers for the mos overall. Based on the ppl who I know in the mos, seems like they are in the motor pool when not deployed or doing mos specific training. Sorry I can't be more helpful, but I'm not actually in the mos and had limited experience. Good luck to you!
Depends on the Unit... from what I have been told most 92M's stay at Fort Lee until they make some rank. They have a whole Unit there of 92M's. You can find MA folks in Brigade Support Battalion SPO Shops and they work alone. But provide training for personnel recovery within the Brigade, as well they can be found in Sustainment Brigades which is a higher level of support on the battlefield. They will usually run the MACP or Mortuary Affairs Collection Point which handles all processing of remains...mostly our own, but possible "non-friendlies". My last tour, I assisted our MA with tagging 245 bones fragments from a grave that our Military Dug up and fly with em to Baghdad.... wasn't our people but because we disturbed it, we had to process it.
The only MA I have worked with is back in Hawaii still... and still an E-5... he was as E-5 during our deployment that ended in 2009
Just a little FYI. My daughter is now in AIT at Fort Lee for the 92 Mike. She is in her fourth week. She told me last night that Fort Lee will be used as a training place only and there won't be any 92M stationed there. I will try to get her on here this week if anyone has any questions.
I am a 92M and I just recently recieved orders on my ERB that I will be stationed in Camp Carroll, South Korea. What is it like there?
Camp Carroll is a reception site. From there you will inprocess and be pushed to a Unit and ultimately a new Camp. That is just how it works for Soldiers when going to Korea.
The only sites that are NOT open-source is https. Some of those on the .mil domain are open source, too. Where else are our little civilians going to get their official and accurate information than from a .mil or .gov site, SFC? Also, if it wasn't open-source, it'd be hidden behind the AKO log-in.
it seems like this MOS moves around alot? was thinking of doing this mos but i have children and a husband.. would i more then likely be gone alot?
@katiesarahsmom - my husband is leaving in january for BCT and then will be going to Ft Lee for AIT. He is a 92M. We were told that almost everyone with his MOS will be stationed at Ft Lee for their first tour. I see that you are saying your daughter says otherwise, is this still the case? Do you know where most of them are getting stationed now??
inoulkn,
it is possible...Since Fort Lee has the school, they have alot of MA Units. Outside of that, the big Army does not have alot of slots for 92M's at the BCT Level.
You run a 50/50 chance of Fort Lee and the rest of the Army
As far as she has told me, everyone in her class is going to a new base. She is the only one left in her class at Fort Lee. She got her shots to go overseas and she is wating to be cleared. She is coming home soon to do home town recruiting and then will fly out in December to Camp Humphreys S. Korea. She is telling me that Fort Lee will be a training facility only and 92 Mikes won't be stationed permantly there.I know there are a couple more 92Ms that are also goin to Korea and one going to Germany. A couple are going to Ft. Polk in Louisiana (which is where we are from). I am trying to get her on here so she can answer any more questions you have.
@inoulkn,
I am leaving for Camp Humphreys, South Korea this December. I am going to be attached to an infantry unit with the 194th CSS. This is my first duty station, but not my permanent. As my instructors have told me, Fort Lee will soon become a strictly TRADOC post, i.e. only for training. The two MA units stationed here, 111th and 54th are going to be stationed somewhere else. I believe one will be going to Washington state and the other to North Carolina, although I am not entirely sure of this. As for my fellow battle buddies, only half of the active soldiers in my class out of 21 people are stationed in Fort Lee for now. The others have gone to Louisiana, Kentucky, Korea, and Georgia. It is possible for your husband to be stationed anywhere in the world; it just depends on where they need him the most.
Here is some helpful information for your husband as he prepares for this job. During the first week he will get an introductory powerpoint showing thingswhat he will encounter in this job field. His class will take a trip to the Richmond morgue the second week of training at Fort Lee. Yes, he will see real remains from various crimes in the Richmond area. The next week they will watch in on an autopsy at the morgue. The fourth week will be dedicated to going up to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. He and his classmates will assist on taking care of soldiers that come in from theater (where soldiers go for deployment). From clothing to dental, wrapping to personnel effects, he will see it all. While my class was up there we saw a fallen soldier be taken care of. Keep in mind though that at any time he can "tap out" and request a new job. This is the only job in the military that is an option. Do not feel weak if you do choose this option, sir. It is a very honorable job, but also very taxing on one's mental status. Your will be exposed to several sights and smells not normally seen elsewhere. Do not shy from the job; try to stick it out as best as you can. If you do choose to stay as a 92M, I will possibly be seeing you later down the line!
Supporting victory!
PFC Tuggle