Far more cremated remains of troops were dumped in a Virginia landfill than previously acknowledged by the Air Force.
Records show that the partial remains of at least 274 troops were disposed of in the landfill before the practice was halted three years ago,
The Washington Post reported.
The landfill dumping, first revealed by the Post last month, was concealed from family members and not disclosed to senior Pentagon officials. The remains were handled by the Dover Air Force Base mortuary.
Air Force records show that 976 fragments from 274 military personnel were cremated and taken to the landfill after being included in larger loads of incinerated medical waste between 2004 and 2008. An additional 1,762 unidentified remains also ended up in the landfill, the Post reported.
Unclaimed and unidentified body parts are now cremated and buried at sea, the Post reported.
© 2013 Newsmax. All rights reserved.