The captain sorted all the other gear
And found no items that should disappear
So he gave orders to his staff to pack
The personal effects for transport back
To where his widow and his orphaned son
Yearned for his tour of duty to be done.
The
S1's next responsibility
was to fill out the private's casualty
Report. When this was done he placed a call
To tell a
CNO about the fall
Of a marine outside this forward base,
So Officers assigned to this sad case
Could break the news to next of kin with care,
While knowing facts the officers should share.
A copy of the full report would go
To each command that had a need to know
The details of the latest KIA.
While working, the procedures helped him stay
Professional and hide his own concern,
But now the captain felt his tears return.
