August 7, 2014 ~ Dignified Transfer ~ return Home of Major General Harold J. Greene, 55, was killed 8/5/2014 by an Afghan soldier at Marshal Fahim National Defense University, west of Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul. The soldier hid in a bathroom with a NATO assault rifle before opening fire, killing Greene and wounding 15 others, an Afghan military official said.

The two-star general is the highest-ranked US officer to be slain in combat since 1970 in the Vietnam War. Major General Harold J. Greene was on his first deployment to a war zone.

A dignified transfer is the process by which, upon the return from the theater of operations to the United States, the remains of fallen military members are transferred from the aircraft to a waiting vehicle and then to the port mortuary. The dignified transfer is not a ceremony; rather, it is a solemn movement of the transfer case by a carry team of military personnel from the fallen member's respective service. A dignified transfer is conducted for every U.S. military member who dies in the theater of operation while in the service of their country. A senior ranking officer of the fallen member's service presides over each dignified transfer.

Left to right: Secretary of the United States Army John M. McHugh, General Raymond T. Odierno 38th Chief of Staff, United States Army, Dignified Transfer Host, Col. Ricjhard G. Moore Commander, 436th Airlift Wing, Dover Air Force Base, DE U.S. Air Force, Chaplin (Maj.) Melvin K. Smith, Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations, Dover Air Force Base, DE U.S. Air Force

Detail Attention ~ Present Arms

All returning service members are considered as "believed to be" until they can
be confirmed through finger prints, dental records and/or DNA. After a service member has been identified and prepared for return to their families, they are placed in a casket and transported to their final resting place. This process is a Solemn event; not a ceremony.

U.S. Army carry team transfers the remains of Army Maj. Gen. Harold J. Greene of Schenectady, N.Y., Aug. 7, 2014 at Dover Air Force Base, DE. Greene was assigned to the Combined Security Transition Command, Afghanistan.

U.S. Army carry team places the transfer case of Army Maj. Gen. Harold J. Greene into the mortuary transfer vehicle.

Transfer vehicle guide Senior Airman Kristina C. Barr closes the doors to transfer vehicle.

Transfer vehicle guide Senior Airman Kristina C. Barr closes the doors to transfer vehicle.

The Final Steps, Mortuary vehicle driver starts engine, and Security Forces vehicle moves into escort position in front, Transfer vehicle begins to pull away, Dignified transfer officer orders final “Present, Arms” and “Order, Arms” (slow salute) as vehicle departs, Carry team follows (by walking) transfer vehicle, with the transfer vehicle guide walking behind the carry team, Dignified transfer officer and senior ranking officer follow (walking) behind the transfer vehicle guide, ending the dignified transfer

Detail Attention ~ Present Arms

After the dignified transfer the family of Major General Harold J. Greene went onto the C-17 aircraft to thank the crew for bringing home their father, husband.

Major General Harold J. Greene, 55, was killed 8/5/2014 by an Afghan soldier at Marshal Fahim National Defense University, west of Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul. The soldier hid in a bathroom with a NATO assault rifle before opening fire, killing Greene and wounding 15 others, an Afghan military official said.