Each week, a squad of Soldiers from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) is set aside from the typical ceremonial tasking to take upon itself a most difficult honor. These Soldiers are on call, 24 hours a day, weekday or weekend, to receive the remains of America's fallen heroes at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, DE

Time is 03:00 on July 12, 2012. The 'Dignified Transfer' return home of six heroes from Operation Enduring Freedom | Afghanistan. Staff Sgt. Ricardo Seija, Spc. Erica P. Alecksen, Spc. Cameron J. Stambaugh, Spc. Clarence Williams III, Pfc. Trevor B. Adkins, Pfc. Alejandro J. Pardo.

A dignified transfer is the process by which, upon the return from the theater of operations to the United States, the remains of fallen military members are transferred from the aircraft to a waiting vehicle and then to the port mortuary. The dignified transfer is not a ceremony; rather, it is a solemn movement of the transfer case by a carry team of military personnel from the fallen member's respective service. A dignified transfer is conducted for every U.S. military member who dies in the theater of operation while in the service of their country. A senior ranking officer of the fallen member's service presides over each dignified transfer.

The sequence of the dignified transfer starts with the fallen being returned to Dover by the most expedient means possible, which may mean a direct flight from theater, or a flight to Ramstein Air Base, Germany, and then to Dover. It is the Department of Defense's policy, and AFMAO's , mission, to return America's fallen to their loved ones as quickly as possible. Once the aircraft lands at Dover, service-specific carry teams remove the transfer cases individually from the aircraft and move them to a waiting mortuary transport vehicle. Once all of the transfer cases have been taken to the transport vehicles, they are then taken to the port mortuary.

All returning service members are considered as "believed to be" until they can
be confirmed through finger prints, dental records and/or DNA. After a service member has been identified and prepared for return to their families, they are placed in a casket and transported to their final resting place. This process is a Solemn event; not a ceremony.

Dignified Transfer Host: Col. Mark Camerer, U.S. Air Force, Commander, 436th Airlift Wing, Dover AFB. Senior Ranking Officers: Denis McDonough, Deputy National Security Advisor, Adm. James A. Winnefeld Jr., U.S. Navy, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Brig. Gen. Courtney P. Carr, U.S. Army, Special Assistant to the Director, Army National Guard, Chaplin (Col.) Wesley Smith, U.S. Army.

Staff Sgt. Ricardo Seija, 31, of Tampa, FL died July 8, 2012 of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit in Maidan Shahr, Wardak province, Afghanistan, with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 978th Military Police Company, 93rd Military Police Battalion, Fort Bliss, Texas.

Carry team carries transfer case of Staff Sgt. Ricardo Seija to the mortuary transfer vehicle

Spc. Erica P. Alecksen, 21, of Eatonton, GA died July 8, 2012 of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit in Maidan Shahr, Wardak province, Afghanistan, with an improvised explosive device. She was assigned to the 978th Military Police Company, 93rd Military Police Battalion, Fort Bliss, Texas.

Carry team carries transfer case of Spc. Erica P. Alecksen to the mortuary transfer vehicle

Spc. Cameron J. Stambaugh, 20, of Spring Grove, PA died July 8, 2012 of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit in Maidan Shahr, Wardak province, Afghanistan, with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 978th Military Police Company, 93rd Military Police Battalion, Fort Bliss, Texas.

Carry team carries transfer case of Spc. Cameron J. Stambaugh to the mortuary transfer vehicle

Spc. Clarence Williams III, 23, of Brooksville, FL died July 8, 2012 of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit in Maidan Shahr, Wardak province, Afghanistan, with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 978th Military Police Company, 93rd Military Police Battalion, Fort Bliss, Texas.

Carry team carries transfer case of Spc. Clarence Williams to the mortuary transfer vehicle

Pfc. Trevor B. Adkins, 21, of Spring Lake, N.C. died July 8, 2012 of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit in Maidan Shahr, Wardak province, Afghanistan, with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 978th Military Police Company, 93rd Military Police Battalion, Fort Bliss, Texas.

Carry team carries transfer case of Pfc. Trevor B. Adkins to the mortuary transfer vehicle

Pfc. Alejandro J. Pardo, 21, of Porterville, CA died July 8, 2012 of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit in Maidan Shahr, Wardak province, Afghanistan, with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 978th Military Police Company, 93rd Military Police Battalion, Fort Bliss, Texas.

Carry team carries transfer case of Pfc. Alejandro J. Pardo to the mortuary transfer vehicle

Transfer vehicle guide Senior Airman Joshua Fernandez closes the doors to transfer vehicle

All returning service members are considered as "believed to be" until they can
be confirmed through finger prints, dental records and/or DNA. After a service member has been identified and prepared for return to their families, they are placed in a casket and transported to their final resting place. This process is a Solemn event; not a ceremony.

Final Steps Mortuary vehicle driver starts engine, and Security Forces vehicle moves into escort position in front Transfer vehicle begins to pull away Dignified transfer officer orders final “Present, Arms” and “Order, Arms” (slow salute) as vehicle departs Carry team follows (by walking) transfer vehicle, with the transfer vehicle guide walking behind the carry team

These six Soldiers died July 8, 2012 of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit in Maidan Shahr, Wardak province, Afghanistan, with an improvised explosive device. They were assigned to the 978th Military Police Company, 93rd Military Police Battalion, Fort Bliss, Texas.