Our War Dead

Just read an interesting article on Boston.Com about goverment chartered flights to carry our war dad from Irag and Afganistan home to there families. http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/04/07/an_about_face_on_honoring_fallen_troops/
It appears that a private air chater has the honors. It is Kalitta Charters of Ypsilanti, Mich. Since I am new to this site, does anyone know how to track these flights?

You can see all airborne Kalitta Charters flights here.

Keep in mind, not all Kalitta flights are carrying war dead. They are a large air charter firm contracted to carry everything from car parts to horses. They also might block some of their flights.

I will say from personal experience, the shipping of human remains via commercial carrier is a very dignified and routine process.

I believe all war dead go to Dover AFB in Delaware. That’s where the morgue and mortuary is.

There are 2 different but associated Kalitta Companies,one flies 747 using the callsign “CONNIE” CKS on flightaware and KALITTA Charters callsign Kalitta KFS,Kalitta was awarded the contract after complaints to the pentagon about bringing them home on commercial flights,so now they are all brought in to Dover and flown to their respective hometowns with an honor guard.

It is indeed quite a dignified process. I observed the return of a fallen soldier this weekend at KBED- Hanscom Field in Bedford MA.
Not to mention that the aircraft has special equipment on board to load and unload the casket. The pilots took great care and reverence in that process.

After that, the honor guard is there, State and Local police, as well as the “Patriot Riders”, to provide escort to the soldier’s hometown.

Keith

We had a fallen soldier return to Cincinnati a couple months ago by Kalitta Charters. The police and military honor guard met them at the airport and escorted him to the funeral home by motorcade. I am a member of the Patriot Guard Riders and we lined the streets (we only participate at the family’s acceptance of our offer) with flags alongside many local residents. It is a very dignified process and provides some support to grieving families at a terrible time in their lives.

Not to hijack this thread, but I wanted to add one thing to pmbell64. I’m a police officer in Illinois and we had experience with the Patriot Guard last year when one of our local soldiers died. I had heard of the Patriot Guard, but didn’t know much about them until that day. I must say I was very impressed with your organization. You guys handle yourselves very professionally and with a lot of class.
KP

Certainly. God bless you guys and what you do.

Back to the topic I would assume that all the Kalitta flights would leave DOV if they were carrying a soldier.

JB

Quite a great story here

kget.com/news/local/story.as … 6ccfe6340d

Thanks, 71Zulu, for posting that link. It was a very touching article. I hope everyone takes the time to read it.

That’s a nice story. The second to last paragraph nails it on the head, in the big picture.