Disaster Response RECENT ARTICLES IN ADF Health have described the

initial medical response to the Bali bombings of 12 October 2002 and the aeromedical evacuation of Australian casualties undertaken by service personnel, including Reservists.1,2 This article describes the subsequent work of ADF forensic dental and medical personnel in identifying the victims of the bombings. The word “forensic ” comes from the Latin forensis, “of the forum”. In Roman times the forum was the public place where official announcements were made, public meetings were held and some legal processes were demonstrated. Hence the term has come to refer to those aspects of medicine and dentistry which are applied to the needs of the law. In cases of unexpected death, the crucial function of forensic sciences is determining the who, when, where and how of death. Forensic evidence can facilitate the prosecutio