The US Army is conducting specialized exercises to prepare for the grim task of burying soldiers killed in large-scale military conflicts. According to Defense News (DN), the training focuses on how quickly troops can establish temporary battlefield graves while preserving the possibility of identifying the dead and returning their remains to their families.

The exercises are designed to assess the military’s ability to handle battlefield fatalities under wartime conditions. A key requirement is ensuring that temporary burials do not prevent the subsequent recovery and identification of fallen personnel once the conflict has ended.

Defense News reports that the training is taking place in North Carolina, where military engineers, medical personnel and other Pentagon specialists are working together to develop and test burial procedures.

The exercises involve specialized heavy equipment, including bulldozers, to prepare trenches intended for the temporary burial of soldiers killed in combat.

According to figures cited in the report, American military personnel require an average of one hour and 15 minutes to excavate a trench large enough to accommodate the remains of 20 soldiers.

The drills form part of the US Army’s preparations for potential large-scale warfare, with particular attention given to the speed of burial operations and the preservation of remains for eventual identification and return to relatives.

The next phase of the training program, which will continue examining the Army’s ability to operate during a major armed conflict, is scheduled for spring 2027.