In 2008, the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command’s Central Identification Laboratory located on Hickam AFB, Hawaii opened the Forensic Science Academy, an advanced forensic anthropology program consisting of five courses, taught under the auspices of the Department of Defense.

Students will receive training in the following areas, and more:

• Identifying and reconstructing fragmentary and complete human skeletons
• Establishing a biological profile
• Minimum Number of Individuals (MNI)
• Cause and manner of death
• Terrestrial and underwater archaeological equipment and methods
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing
• Recovery scene processing
• DNA sampling
• Bone disease
• Forensic photography
• Entomology and taphonomy
• Laboratory quality assurance
• ASCLD/LAB International Accreditation
• Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and radiology
• Thin sectioning bone for histological examination
• Friction ridge analysis
• Soils

Students may be asked to assist local police authorities in the field recovery of remains, and forensic odontologists with the examination and identification of recent deaths at the Honolulu Medical Examiner’s Office. Students are assigned skeletal cases and required to submit forensic anthropology reports detailing the findings of their examination. After receiving classroom instruction in archaeological equipment and recovery techniques, students serve five weeks as team members on military search and recovery teams in Laos or Vietnam and assist in the archaeological excavation of a crash site or burial.

Students are accepted into the program each fall (4 months) based on academic performance and recommendation of a faculty member, receive a one-time stipend, and up to 15 semester hours of credit through their university. Application is completed on-line through the ORISE program (see below).

How to apply to the Forensic Science Academy?
An application form can be found at:
(http://www.orau.org/maryland/participants/apply.htm)
Please make sure to reference the appropriate project number
(found at http://www.orau.org/maryland/participants/jpac_projects.htm) or "FSA" where the project number is requested on the application.

The ORISE-Maryland (http://www.orau.org/maryland) site has some useful general information about the ORISE program and application process. From this page, mouse-over the tab that says "ORISE Participants/Applicants" at the top, right-hand side of the page, and then click on "How to Apply." Links to download the application form and reference forms are at the bottom of the page.