In Iraq, a Marine unit deals with the dead

FOR THE RECORD:
Fallen Marines: An article in Wednesday's Section A about a Marine unit that returns the remains of Marines who die in Iraq to the United States misstated the unit's mission. It said the unit organizes and cleans the remains. In fact, its goal is to return the remains expeditiously in the condition in which they were recovered to preserve forensic evidence. —

---

The seemingly endless days of idleness are considered ideal by members of this reserve Marine Corps unit from Georgia.

"I enjoy the slow times," said Sgt. Christopher Crowder-Barnes of Marietta, Ga. "I enjoy it because it means nobody's dying."

The PRP is the unit that prepares the remains of Marines for the journey home. It is one of three PRPs in Anbar province and part of Headquarters and Service Company, 1st Marine Logistics Group.

Remains are usually brought to the base for processing. The goal is to place the remains, draped in an American flag, on an airplane as quickly as possible for return to their families, said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Bo Causey, who heads the unit.

The hardest missions involve multiple, or especially grim, casualties. In such cases, a team goes into the field to conduct the recovery.

---

FOR THE RECORD:
Fallen Marines: An article in Wednesday's Section A misstated the mission of a Marine unit that returns the remains of deceased Marines to the United States. It said the unit organizes and cleans the remains. In fact, the goal is to return the remains expeditiously in the condition in which they were recovered to preserve forensic evidence.

---

Across Anbar, U.S. military deaths have dropped to about three per month this year, compared with a rate of nearly one per day throughout 2006 and in the first half of last year, according to the independent website icasualties.org.

This year all three Anbar units combined have had only four field retrievals, Causey said.

Despite the decline, the psychic strain of being constantly prepared never diminishes.

Like firefighters, the 14 men who work here keep themselves ready to be called at any hour. They work out, study and read during their idle hours. They also practice processing. They stick close together, generally not associating much outside their own circle.

And they consciously watch one another for signs of distress.

"Everybody has their own personal breaking point," Causey said. "So we all make an effort to get in touch with what we are all thinking.

"We pay close attention to everyone's routines, what they say, their attitudes. If something changes, we try to jump on it."

Causey and other senior officers live in the hangar, inherited from Saddam Hussein's air force. The accommodations are spartan. Besides their bunks, there is a weight room.

And then there is the processing room. It looks like a medical examiner's lab, with stainless steel gurneys and a cold-storage area.