Photo By Jason Minto | Promotion ceremony for Chief Petty Officer Jessica Zugzda to the rank of Senior Chief...... read more read more
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Amidst the storied past and service of the U.S. Navy’s hospital corpsman community, there lies a small contingent of dedicated individuals specifically trained to handle the Navy’s mortuary affairs.
Until recently, only one Navy mortician had earned the rank of senior chief petty officer.
Earlier this year, Senior Chief Jessica Zugzda, currently stationed with the U.S. Air Force in Dover, Delaware, joined their ranks as the first woman senior chief petty officer mortician.
“I still can’t believe it at times, but I am proud,” said Zugzda.
Reaching this milestone has been an accomplishment seemingly out of reach for so many Sailors. Now, the future is wide open for aspiring young women in the mortician community.
“I want my junior sailors to be able to see their future doesn’t have a cap on it. They can continue to grow, excel, and achieve the unachievable.”
Most Sailors know little about Navy morticians. These professionals provide dignity, integrity, reverence for fallen service members, and, more importantly, a sense of closure for grieving families.
They hold great pride in being the only branch of the Department of Defense with enlisted funeral directors and embalmers, said the Perth, New York native. Navy morticians are a specific enlisted job classification within the hospital corpsman rating.
“We all had to obtain college degrees and state licensures,” she added.
They all have to be certified before joining the Navy; there are mortuary schools around the country they must attend.
While many Sailors do not know that morticians exist in their ranks, camaraderie comes from being part of such a small, specialized group.
“It is this rarity that we all share in, that bonds us, and we work together to take care of our fallen with the utmost honor and respect.”
Zugzda did not always want to be a mortician but rather a forensic pathologist. It was a trip to a local funeral home in the 11th grade and a conversation with the funeral director who attended high school with her father that transformed her path.
“I was able to speak with him about his career and different aspects of his job, and I decided then that was what I want to do,” she said.
Since joining the Navy in July 2004, she is grateful for her breadth of experiences and wouldn’t change anything if given the chance.
“It has made me a stronger, more knowledgeable person and leader,” she said. “I’ve had the opportunity to serve alongside some wonderful people in places I never thought I would get to see.”
Zugzda and others rotate to different duty stations around the globe, as many other service members do. Her current assignment is with the U.S. Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations. The pressure and emotional weight of the job can be heavy at times. That fact didn’t rest with Zugzda until her most recent assignment. She still sees it as a greater purpose.
“Until I was here at Dover Port Mortuary and experienced this mission firsthand, I never really understood the gravity that came with it,” she said. “As challenging as some days may be, though, it’s twice as rewarding.”
The primary mission at Dover Port Mortuary is the dignified transfer of remains for a fallen service member. 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 an awaiting vehicle. The remains will then be transferred to the mortuary facility. The dignified transfer is not a ceremony. It is a solemn movement of the transfer case by a carry team composed 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 serving their country.
Zugzda says she will always feel honored for her experience as a mortician in the Navy and working with the Air Force.
“It has allowed me to utilize my training and expertise and impact every branch of service while serving my country,” she said.
With her promotion, she admits she is humbled and is taking things in stride.
“A year ago, I would have said I will be retired and trying something new,” she acknowledged. “But how quickly things change. I am just taking things as they come for now and seeing where this new journey leads me.”
While every person’s journey differs, Zugzda’s parting advice is relevant to everyone.
“Step outside your box and learn new and different things,” she said. “Stay motivated and keep growing personally and professionally.”
| Date Taken: | 10.23.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 10.23.2023 15:00 |
| Story ID: | 456336 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 748 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Navy Promotes First Woman Mortician to Senior Chief, by CPO Jason Perry, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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