A few thought, as I digest what is, on the face of it, an appalling story.
1. We're talking about stray parts, not actual bodies. While that may not make anyone feel better, it's a good reminder that battlefields end up with a lot of stray, unidentified, or too-late-identified parts. Dying in battle (or from IEDs) is not all graceful slo-mo collapsing to the ground.
2. This was a Bush era activity. I don't have any reason to specifically blame his administration, but I have zero doubt that if this had been going on for the last two years, the Right would be up in arms about how Obama's supposed anti-military agenda was directly responsible for this kind of disrespect.
3. Trying to be as objective as possible, is it that huge a deal? The pomp and circumstance of the actual burial ceremony (with whatever identified remains are there), the engagement of the family, the respect shown at the memorial, that's about as much as any mortal can expect. (Or, to take it to another degree, do folks expect they would dig up all the blood-soaked earth around the fallen body, too?) When I die, I don't expect I'm going to be all that worried about whether a few bits of me ended up cremated in a landfill.
4. Viz #3, I realize some folks do care very much about this, particularly the survivors, and so some heads should definitely roll (but not be buried in a landfill). #ddtb
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Remains of war dead dumped in landfill
The Dover mortuary engaged in the practice from 2003 until 2008, according to Air Force officials. The manner of disposal was typically withheld from the relatives of fallen service members.