During a Friday visit to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, the secretary of defense visited the agency charged with attempting to locate, identify and return to families the remains of service members who were lost in combat.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III told the civilian and military personnel at the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency that their mission not only brings closure to families whose loved one never came home from conflict, but it also provides confidence to those who are in the fight today.
"You have a more profound impact on the business than you can imagine," said Austin. "I spent a lot of time in combat and told them that, whatever happens, I would never leave them if they went down; I would come to get them. That instills great confidence in them and allows them to fight fiercely. No other country in the world can make that claim."
"Your nation is grateful for what you do. Your job is not without risk and on behalf of a grateful nation, we say thank you," he said.
Related
During his tour of DPAA, Austin was able to see the research areas and labs and meet the professionals who work to return home the U.S. service members who were lost during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Cold War. Today, more than 81,000 Americans remain missing from those conflicts. DPAA aims to locate them and return them to the United States.
On missions to recover remains, DPAA personnel travel around the globe to locations where service members once fought or where aircraft may have gone down. Many times those locations are still dangerous decades after conflict has ended.
“We have access to 46 countries around the globe,” said U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Darius Banaji, DPAA deputy director for operations. “We have adapted well to the challenges of COVID and have gained access back to many countries. We have teams right now in Belgium, Austria, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam working tirelessly to account for those still missing.”
During his visit, Austin witnessed the determination of the men and women who continue to drive DPAA forward, and the important role the agency plays in building partnerships with host nations.
“Like all the other domains, our relationships with our allies and partners are crucial; we are stronger when we are integrated,” said Austin. “We will reinvigorate and modernize these relationships by engaging with key allies and partners on priority bilateral and multilateral issues, strengthening collaborative planning, and increasing interoperability.”
Related
The mission remains unchanged - to provide the fullest possible accounting for our personnel to their families and the nation, and he saw first-hand how that’s made possible.
"The care and commitment that you exhibit in each and every mission that you go on is just extraordinary,” the SECDEF said. “It's not lost on me that in years past we've lost members of our team while out on missions. It's dangerous, it's hard, it's tedious...but the fact that we have people like you who are committed to do what you're doing is just absolutely terrific and it sets us apart and it makes us different so I want to thank you for what you do, I want to encourage you to keep doing it and I really applaud the teamwork and the camaraderie."
Related
