As part of Aurora 26, Sweden’s national total defense exercise involving NATO allies, a large-scale mortuary affairs exercise was conducted. The exercise focused on the recovery, care, and management of large numbers of fallen service members under realistic conditions. With its high level of realism and practical implementation, it represented a scale of mortuary affairs operations not seen in Sweden since the early 1950s. More than 300 military personnel participated, together with several civilian authorities. The aim of this study was to explore military personnel’s experiences of caring for fallen service members, with particular attention to how dignity and respect were maintained throughout the exercise. Data were collected through observations, qualitative questionnaires, and interviews. The material was analyzed inductively, and the use of multiple data sources enabled methodological triangulation. The findings show that participants gained important lessons from the exercise, developed a deeper understanding of the consequences of war, and stressed the importance of training for mortuary affairs operations. At the same time, many described the exercise as emotionally challenging. The operation was carried out by temporarily assembled units rather than a dedicated mortuary affairs capability. Factors that contributed to dignity included ceremonies, the absence of excessive time pressure, a shared commitment to treating the deceased with respect, and adaptive leadership. At the same time, dignity emerged as a context dependent concept that must be balanced against cultural, medical, logistical, and operational demands. Factors that threatened dignity included shortcomings in parts of the logistical chain, fatigue over time, limited training, and problems with administration and documentation. The findings suggest that the benefits of a dedicated, trained, exercised, and properly equipped mortuary affairs unit should be considered from psychological, moral injury, operational, and dignity-related perspectives.
Frontiers Media S.A., 2026. Vol. 17, article id 1907283