NYC-WTC_000174805

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

4 AFIP Letter / Vol. 159, No. 5 / October 2001

overall identification process. Since many Operation Noble Eagle: of the Pentagon victims were active-duty DNA Laboratory plays key role in or reserve personnel, most had DNA reference cards already on file in Pentagon, Somerset County AFRSSIR. “We had a total of 50 reference specimens on file for military service

victim identifications members who died in the Pentagon crash,” said David Boyer, the director of Opera- tion.s at AFRSSIR, “That expedites the By Michele Hanimond.s and Christopher C. Kelly DNA identification process, because AFIP Public Affairs immediately we have a known reference from which we can reliably generate a

F lor weeks following the September a two-person team to Dover to establish DNA profile. And because many blood­ 1 1 terrorist attack on America, one connectivity for AFDIL’s computerized stain card,s also have the individual’s of the leading DNA laboratories in evidence-tracking program known as the fingerprints, we were able to provide FBI the world focused its efforts on bringing Laboratory Information System Applica­ experts with another tool for obtaining a closure to the families of the victims. The tion, or LIS.A. According to James Ross, positive identification.” Department of Defense DNA Registry, the chief information officer for the DoD As specimens arrived from the Dover which constitutes the Forensic DNA DNA Registry, forensic scientist,s in the Mortuary back to AFDIL in Rockville, Division of AFIP’s Office of the Armed Dover morgue and at the DNA laboratory Md, teams of forensic scientists, under the Forces Medical Examiner (OAFME), relied on EISA’s barcoded chain of direction of Demris Lee, technical leader provided DNA identifications of victims in custody system to quickly and efficiently of the Nuclear DNA Section, took over the two of the terrorist attack plane crashes: process evidence. “Every tissue sample difficult chore of generating a DNA profile American Airlines Flight 77 at the used for DNA analysis received a chain-of- of the victims. Their work included not Pentagon and United Airlines custody number,” Ross said, “and this only the Pentagon crash victims, but the Flight 93 in Somerset County, victims of the Somerset Pennsylvania. “Identifying County, Pennsylvania crash a.s victims is a humanitarian U well. Every one of the issue," said Army Colonel — ■ ra hT organization’s 102 DNA Brion Smith, chief deputy ' v® analysts, sample processors, medical examiner and head of logistics staff, and administra­ the Department of Defense tive personnel were in­ DNA Registry. “Families ' i volved— from collecting, need confirmation,” he said, tracking, analyzing DNA “and we have a duty to assist bIHU samples, and gathering and them in every way possible.” logging DNA reference The DoD DNA Registry material to preparing DNA has two operational branches: reports. For 18 day.s following the Armed Forces DNA the terrorist attacks, AFDIL Identification Laboratory employees worked on 12-hour (AFDIL), which performs the shifts, 7 days a week to meet forensic DNA testing, and the the mission requirements. Armed Forces Repository of J The laboratory prepared to Specimen Samples for the expand its operation to include Identification of Remains At Dover, Asst. Technical Leader Amanda Blanchard uses aiilamated evideitce the Somerset County crash jtrogram to lag samples into database and generate label.s. (AFRSSIR). The AFRSSIR, almo.st immediately. Boyer, which ha.s been collecting DNA references number remained intact during the entire who is a nationally recognized expert in since 1992 for Department of Defense identification process. It allowed u.s to coordinating tissue collection services personnel, has over 3,5 million sample.s — track evidence taken from victims through­ following aircraft disasters, traveled to filter paper cards containing a small out the operation, and saved AFDIL staff Somerset County directly after the amount of blood collected from active- hundreds of man-hours by eliminating the incident. There, he discussed AFDIL’s duty and re,serve component need for hand-labeling materials.” potential role in identifying the Flight 93 servicemembers. They are carefully stored Two-member teain.s from AFDIL victims with federal and local officials, in freezers and left undisturbed, unless rotated from Rockville to Dover every 72 including the FBI and the National they arc required for human remains hours to work alongside the forensic Transportation Safety Board. identification. Such was the case, when pathologists, odontologists, and anthro­ AFDIL played a major role in identify­ DoD authorities turned to DNA analysi.s to pologists in coordinating the appropriate ing victims of previous major airline establish the identification of victims from sampling of bone, teeth, and tissue. This disasters, including Egypt Airlines Flight the terrorist attacks. arrangement insured the establishment of a 990 in 1999 and Alaska Airlines Flight On September 12, COL Smith deployed proper chain of custody and expedited the 261 in 2000, and was a logical choice to

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