US Army engineers at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, executed a live‑fire drill on May 9 2024 that saw a 20‑remains trench finished in just 1 hr 15 min—an operation the army hasn’t performed in decades. The test, part of the 3rd Corps Sustainment Command and 20th Engineer Brigade’s routine, aimed to assess how heavy earthmoving equipment could excavate and backfill temporary burial plots without damaging remains.
Previous trials using standard backhoes averaged three hours per ten‑remains trench, but the D6 bulldozers from the 27th Engineer Battalion cut the time to roughly an hour and a quarter for the full 20‑remains stretch. The exercise highlighted that the doctrinal seven‑foot corridor between trench rows was too narrow for bulldozer tracks, risking disturbance of the burial area.
In response, operators widened each trench to 15 ft and inserted a nine‑ft pillar of undisturbed soil between rows. This change lets the bulldozer drive along a central corridor, pushing dirt inward to backfill without exerting direct downward pressure on the remains. The adjustment preserves the integrity of bodies while enabling rapid, systematic interment.
Sgt. 1st Class Delbert Ruede, the senior fatality‑management NCO for the 3rd CSC, said the exercise “allowed us to take a critical look at how we respect, honor, and systematically manage our fallen in a high‑intensity conflict.” He added that refining these standards is essential for any future combat scenario where quick, respectful burial is paramount.