Photo By Jason Minto | Maj. Benjamin Quintanilla Jr., Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations senior chaplain,...... read more read more
In October 2024, service members responding to Hurricane Helene faced the difficult task of handling human remains. Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations was set to provide pre-exposure training to get those service members ready for the mission. Realizing the service members would need to also be trained in mental skills for handling this unique stressor, they turned to the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research for support.
WRAIR had recently developed a specialized training package focused on mental skills for this context. “We had started working on the training because we realized we needed to have materials ready for service members in case they encountered this kind of task in far-forward environments” said Dr. Amy Adler, a senior scientist at WRAIR.
WRAIR’s training package was initially created with help from experts in Norway and the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. After it was piloted, the training package was updated and named “Fostering Resilience And Managing Emotions” or FRAME.
“Because we had the training already completed, we were ready to rapidly support our partners at AFMAO after the hurricane hit” said Dr. Adler.
WRAIR’s FRAME training package was incorporated into a larger program provided by AFMAO called Pre-Exposure Preparation training. PEP educates participants on the physiological, psychological, and spiritual reactions that may occur when dealing with human remains. By combining these materials, service members gained the knowledge and skills necessary to support both themselves and others during difficult missions. The hurricane response was also the first time AFMAO trained others for a mobilized mission.
“It is our responsibility to provide training when chaplains and other service members may need to interact with human remains or with grieving families” explained Chaplain Maj. Quintanilla from AFMAO. “The training package provided by WRAIR was an important addition to PEP and added great value, especially considering the nature of the mission.”
Capt. Kilgore, a Chaplain at AFMAO, delivered the combined training package to reserve chaplains and religious affairs specialists, who later joined Search-and-Rescue and Mortuary Affairs Teams in North Carolina. In addition to the training, Capt. Kilgore provided individual check-ins with each participant to support them during and after the mission.
“I felt that we really provided the necessary support to the team and that it was exceptionally well-received” said Capt. Kilgore of the training. “Due to this training and the chaplains’ great work, they were able to bridge the gap between the military and the community during this mission.”
The successful implementation of the combined training represents a milestone for this collaboration between WRAIR and AFMAO. “In large-scale combat operations, this training will be necessary,” Maj. Quintanilla pointed out. “By continuing this collaboration, we will be able to provide better support for our chaplains, our service members, families, and our communities.”
| Date Taken: | 03.11.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.11.2025 12:33 |
| Story ID: | 492502 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 140 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, WRAIR's FRAME training empowers Hurricane Helene responders, by Zeke Gonzalez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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