The Honorable Michael B.DonleySecretary of the Air ForceDepartment of the Air Force1670 Air Force PentagonWashington D.C.20330-1670

Dear Secretary Donley,

Staff Sergeant Ingles DosReis died at the age of 22 in an auto accident onAugust 28, 2009. He was stationed at Aviano Air force Base in Aviano, Italy.

At the time of his death, his 2 year old son and young wife were preparing to enjoytheir evening meal at their home in Italy. Across the ocean in New Jersey, hisparent's, sister and 3 year old nephew were enjoying the afternoon.Upon hearing this horrifYing news Staff Sergeant DosReis's parents immediatelyflew to Italy to be with their son and family.

Ed and LizDosReis first viewed their son within 24 hours of their arrival, and whensummoned to identifY their son a second time 2 days later (48 hours from their firstviewing), they were horrified to find Ingles had been kept in an unrefrigeratedenvironment.Their utter disbelief turned into profound anguish when they discovered, andwitnessed, their son's deterioration and lack of postmortem care.The lack of a mortuary affairs provision in our current SOFA(Status of ForcesAgreement) with Italy forced the United States to turn over legal and medicalcustody of Staff Sergeant DosReis to the Italian Military Police at the time of hisdeath.

The United States Military was not permitted to intervene and provide properpreservation.Proper handling of a United States Serviceman was denied.What was not denied this proud soldier was the beginning of his family's anguishthat will be felt for life in their hearts and viewed for life in their minds.

So many unanswerable questions have been raised since that horrifYing moment,but the one that brings the greatest consternation is how could the United StatesMilitary allow this to happen?Why was only a Mother's despair the impetus for intervention?On his journey back to the United States, Staff Sergeant DosReis was afforded truemilitary respect. Where was this respect at the time of his death?