WHAT: The Office of Special Counsel, an independent federal agency that investigates complaints from whistle-blowers, uncovered “gross mismanagement” at the Dover Air Force Base mortuary that cares for America’s incoming war dead.

HOW: The sloppy handling of troops’ remains at Dover included lost body parts, misidentified remains, shoddy inventory controls and lax supervision. The investigators accused mortuary officials of a cover-up.

WHY IT’S OUTRAGEOUS: The Dover findings painfully undercut the military’s commitment to treat war dead with the utmost honor. The former mortuary commander and two other senior officials have been disciplined — but not fired.