| |
CHAPTER 4
PERSONNEL CASUALTY REPORTS
A tragedy occurred in the port of Haifa, Israel,
December 1990, when a liberty boat capsized at night
while returning to USS Saratoga (CV-60). This tragedy
resulted in the death of 21 sailors. For Personnel men
assigned to the ship, this unfortunate accident reinforced
the need to be prepared for personnel casualty reporting.
This chapter acquaints you with the various types of
casualties and casualty reporting formats. This chapter
also helps you in the preparation of personnel casualty
reports and provides you with information on what to
do after the submission of the initial report.
The use of this chapter as the sole reference is not
recommended. Refer to the proper Naval Military
Personnel Manual( MILPERSMAN), Articles 4210100
through 4210140, and the
Program (CACP) Manual,
further guidance.
Casualty Assistance Calls
BUPERSINST 1770.3, for
PERSONNEL CASUALTY REPORTING
AND ASSISTANCE
A casualty report is required whenever members of
the Navy, certain former members, certain Navy
dependents, members of other branches of the armed
forces, foreign military personnel, and civilians serving
with or attached to Navy commands become casualties.
TYPES OF CASUALTIES
The Navy considers a person to be a casualty if that
person’s services are lost due to the following:
Illness, injury, or wounds of a serious nature
Wounds received inaction whether serious or not
Missing, including missing in action (MIA)
Interned or detained in a foreign country
Captured, beleaguered, or besieged by hostile
force
Death
Duty status-whereabouts unknown (DUST-
WUN)
Casualties also may include families of Navy
members on active duty or qualified civilian Navy
employees and their family members in a foreign
country who are unaccounted for and must be reported
together with a complete account of the circumstances
surrounding their disappearance or death. The report
submitted for family members should be the same as that
of active duty personnel, appropriately modified.
Additionally, when an incapacitated individual
cannot communicate with his or her next of kin,
regardless of condition, the individual is a casualty for
reporting purposes.
REPORTING CASUALTIES
The commander, commanding officer (CO), or
immediate superior in command submits a personnel
casualty report on members who become casualties. The
casualty report is sent by high precedence (usually
priority) message.
If a casualty occurs to a member while away from
his or her command, the local naval activity informed
of the circumstances must verify the casualty. The naval
activity will notify the member’s command and the
Chief of Naval Personnel (CHNAVPERS), Washington,
DC, by high precedence message. The Judge Advocate
General (JAG) and Chief, Bureau of Medicine and
Surgery (BUMED) must be included as information
addressees. The message must include items ALFA
through HOTEL as directed in the MILPERSMAN,
Article 4210100.
The activity informed of the circumstances also
requests that the member’s command make a complete
report. In cases where the member’s command is
unknown, the naval activity informed of the
circumstances must inform CHNAVPERS of the
casualty (with JAG as an information addressee).
Include a statement that shows the member’s command
is unknown. Also request that the member’s command
be notified and advised to make a complete report.
Each casualty report is submitted in a specific
format. The 17 items required in a casualty report and
identified by phonetic letters ALFA through QUEBEC
are described in the next few pages. A complete
4-1
|
