Army Techniques Publication ATP 4-46 MCRP 3-40G.3 NTTP 4-06 AFTTP 3-2.51 Multi-Service Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for Mortuary Affairs in Theater of Operations August 2022

This Multi-Service manual, Army Techniques Publication ATP 4-46 MCRP 3-40G.3 NTTP 4-06 AFTTP 3-2.51 Multi-Service Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for Mortuary Affairs in Theater of Operations August 2022, provides official advice and standardized guidance on topics relevant to the employment of multi-Service forces. This serves as a planning and operations guide for all personnel engaged in Mortuary Affairs (MA) within a theater. MA provides for the search, recovery, identification, preparation, disposition, and the handling of personal effects of deceased personnel for whom the Services are responsible by status and executive order.

During large-scale combat operations, multi-Service commanders will be challenged to achieve superiority across multiple domains while accounting for all of their losses and maintaining the morale and welfare of the living. It is vital to the success of the campaign that MA tasks synchronize with sustainment warfighting functions, posturing multi-Service MA capabilities for maximum efficiency in unified land operations. Geographic combatant commanders should leverage multi-Service MA resources for MA staff planning and Service-specific capabilities available to search for, recover, process, and evacuate deceased personnel from the operational environment for the fullest possible accounting. In the event that evacuation is not possible, planning considerations for temporary interment of Department of Defense-affiliated persons is the last resort after exhausting all other courses of action.

The tactics, techniques, procedures, and guidance in this publication are authoritative. Personnel will follow this publication except when, in the judgment of the commander, exceptional circumstances dictate otherwise. If conflicts arise between the contents of this publication and the contents of Service publications, the Service publication will take precedence. Commanders of forces should follow multinational doctrine and procedures ratified by the United States when operating as part of a multinational (alliance or coalition) military command. For doctrine and procedures not ratified by the United States, commanders should evaluate and follow multinational doctrine and procedures where applicable and consistent with United States law, regulations, and doctrine.

This publication includes several changes. One significant change is that each military Service has its own Service-specific chapter and publication number. The chapters are arranged by common MA topics, MA staff planning, Service capabilities sustaining the warfighter in a large-scale combat operations environment, and the MA role in defense support of civil authorities.