Casualty Notification Officer

After I saw the  “The Messenger” movie trailer I wanted to know what exactly the “Casualty Notification Officer” stands for , as I had never come across this term before.

A quick search pointed me at  the casualty notification guide for the casualty notification officer (see the webarchive mirror).

As you can read there is a number of strict rules regarding this unenviable job, let me just highlight some of them (excerpts from the above mentioned document):

• Make your visit as inconspicuous as possible without calling undue attention to the unusual presence of the military.
• Convey one of the following scripts to the NOK (Next Of Kin) (without reading from script):
  • For death cases: ….script lines…..
  • For missing cases: ….script lines…..
  • For deaths resulting from friendly fire: ….script lines…..
  • For deaths – positive identification not complete: ….script lines…..
  • …..other cases of death……..
    
• Do not extend overly sympathetic gestures that may be taken the wrong way.  Use good judgment by not passing gory or embarrassing details.
• IMPORTANT! Do not physically touch the NOK in any manner unless there is shock or fainting. Summon medical assistance immediately, if necessary.