The Charles C. Carson Center for Mortuary Affairs is a Mortuary Affairs facility at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware housing the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Center (AFMAO), which combines the functions of both Air Force Mortuary Affairs and Port Mortuary, historically known as Dover Port Mortuary. The Port Mortuary is the United States' only port mortuary, the largest mortuary under the Department of Defense (DoD), and the only DoD mortuary located in the continental United States. It is named for mortician Charles C. Carson.HistoryThe mortuary was used in 1978 for the victims of the Jonestown mass murder-suicide, in 1986 for identifying the remains of the crew of the Space Shuttle Challenger and in 2003 for the crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia. It was also a major site for identifying the remains of military personnel killed in the 9/11 attacks.In 2003, the Charles C. Carson Center for Mortuary Affairs replaced the 48-year-old facility that had been in use since 1955 to identify and process the remains of over 50,000 service members. The new $30 million mortuary is 70000sqft. In recognition of dedicated and committed services for over two decades, Dover Air Force Base named its mortuary after Charles C. Carson.
