Obama Makes Overnight Trip to Meet Fallen Soldiers

President Obama flew late Wednesday night to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to meet the flag-draped burial cases of 18 American military personnel killed in Afghanistan this week. The solemn, midnight visit was the president's first trip to the Dover base, where the remains of American soldiers are brought from abroad. Obama is in the midst of mulling major strategy decisions about the war in Afghanistan, including whether or not to increase the number of U.S. forces. October has been the deadliest month for American forces there since the war began eight years ago.

After the president's final scheduled event around 6 p.m. Wednesday, White House staff asked a small group of pool reporters to remain, and eventually informed them they would be accompanying Obama by helicopter to Dover. Marine One took off from the South Lawn of the White House at 11:44 p.m., and arrived in Dover after midnight, according to pool reporter Alex Leary of the St. Petersburg Times.

The president and reporters did not witness a "transfer" -- removal of a casket from a military plane to a mortuary van -- until nearly 4 a.m., when a group of family members arrived to meet the remains of Sgt. Dale R. Griffin of Terre Haute, Ind. Reporters were allowed to witness the transfer because Griffin's family had approved. The Washington Post's Michael Fletcher said the president and the family members saluted until the casket was placed into the van and had driven away. The transfer took 15 minutes, after which the president and reporters left the tarmac for the return trip to Washington.