JOINT POW/MIA ACCOUNTING COMMAND (JPAC)
Public Affairs (808) 448-1937
public_affairs@jpac.pacom.mil
Contact: Lt. Col. Rumi Nielson-Green
RELEASE 07-01
January 23, 2007
JPAC TEAMS DEPLOY TO SOUTHEAST ASIA AND PACIFIC
HICKAM AFB, HAWAII - Multiple JPAC teams departed Hawaii over the last two
weeks for missions in Cambodia, Laos, Papua New Guinea and Palau. The teams
will conduct multiple investigations and excavations in an effort to account
for missing service members from the Vietnam War and World War II.
CAMBODIA: Two recovery teams deployed on Jan. 11 to Cambodia for 35 days to
excavate two sites associated with missing aircrew members from the Vietnam
War. The first site involves two service members who were killed after their
OH-6A helicopter was downed by enemy fire. The second site is associated
with the loss of an AH-1G helicopter with one unaccounted-for crew member.
This is the 37th Joint Field Activity in Cambodia.
LAOS: Four recovery teams deployed on Jan. 9 to Laos for 35 days to excavate
four sites associated with missing service members from the Vietnam War.
The sites are associated with the losses of five men. Three of the sites
are associated with aircraft losses while the fourth is the result of a
helicopter crash. This is the 97th Joint Field Activity in Laos.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Three recovery teams deployed on Jan. 18 to Papua New
Guinea for 74 days to excavate four locations believed associated with World
War II aircrew losses.
PALAU: One JPAC underwater recovery team, augmented with divers and
equipment assigned to the Mobile Underwater Diving Salvage Unit 1, deployed
yesterday to Palau to conduct an underwater excavation of a World War II
aircraft loss. The mission is scheduled for 60 days.
Recovered evidence from all missions will be transferred to the JPAC Central
Identification Laboratory for analysis.
