Helping the Dead
However, since 2004, every American soldier killed in Iraq or Afghanistan has
been scanned. The practice of using CT scans to check dead people’s bodies
started in Switzerland a decade ago. It was quickly adopted by the U.S. Military.
This has reduced the need for long and laborious autopsies. After a dead soldier’s
body is flown back to the U.S., their entire body is put inside a CT scanner. The
CT scan results quickly show where a bullet is inside the body. It also reveals
broken bones. If a soldier is caught up in a fight with the enemy, they might die
from a bullet, rocket launcher, and land mine explosion or maybe their Army
vehicle just rolls over, crushing them underneath. By putting the bodies through a
CT scanner, the cause of death is discovered more quickly