LANDSTUHL, Germany — From the endless sands of Iraq to the snow-choked peaks of Albania, the Army’s Disaster Mortuary Affairs Response Team must perform its noble task in a variety of hellish environments.

And given the nature of its work, the team — led by Mark Baldwin, a civilian mortuary officer/investigator, and Staff Sgt. Larry Johnson, noncommissioned officer in charge — must be ready to travel to far-flung crash sites and begin sifting wreckage for bodily remains within hours of notice.

“It’s not all suit-and-tie work, and it’s not all out in a flat parking lot,” Baldwin said.

Baldwin and Johnson were on hand Tuesday as Army leaders from the Kaiserslautern military community attended a ribbon-cutting for a new addition to the U.S. Army Memorial Affairs Activity-Europe’s building at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. The new 2,000-square-foot entry bay will allow bodies and remains to be removed from hearses inside the mortuary facility.

A portion of the project also provided 2,000 square feet of office space on the second floor. Prior to completing work on the two-year project, such transfers happened regardless of the weather in a parking lot adjacent to the facility, which is also near Landstuhl lodging.

“The [commanding general] directed that’s not how we treat our fallen,” said Lt. Col. Erik Daiga, commander of the 415th Base Support Battalion. “We needed somewhere inside. This is the right thing to do for our fallen soldiers.”

Maj. Gen. Bennie Williams, commander of the 21st Theater Support Command, which oversees the memorial affairs activity, acknowledged that the services performed at the facility are very sensitive.

“We understand the caring that needs to be provided because you are preparing the remains of loved ones,” he said.

The response team spent two weeks in early April scouring wreckage for the remains of nine airmen killed in the crash of an -130H Combat Talon II near Rovia, Albania. While Baldwin could not elaborate on details because of an ongoing investigation, he said when the remains were flown home, they were given the proper respect.

“It doesn’t matter where you are, people will stop what they’re doing and render honors,” he said.

Just as important as finding bodily remains in the jungles of twisted wreckage is being able to get the remains quickly to the fallen servicemembers’ loved ones in order to provide closure to the tragedy.

“The best part about what we do is just knowing that we’re doing something for the families,” Johnson said.