US Army reportedly tests mass-burial capacity

The Army practiced preparing temporary battlefield burial trenches at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, during Phase II of Operation Dragon Covenant, testing how engineers could manage fallen troops if combat conditions made evacuation impossible. The exercise assessed whether heavy equipment could dig and backfill sites without damaging remains, while medical, chaplain and fatality-management personnel also trained. Soldiers completed a trench intended for 20 remains in about 75 minutes; Army planning described in one report envisions larger temporary sites, though the exercise does not mean mass casualties are expected. The training reflects planning for high-intensity conflict, in which disrupted logistics and delayed evacuations could make procedures used in recent wars inadequate. One report linked the exercise to separate U.S. deliberations about possible action against Iran but noted it does not establish that an attack is imminent.