Migration
Nine JPAC teams in Vietnam, Laos to search for MIAs
Stars and Stripes
March 18, 2013
Members of the Joint Prisoners of War, Missing in Action Accounting Command work a suspected World War II crash site in June 2011 near St. Vith, Belgium. Recent efforts in Europe and elsewhere highlight a massive US military mission to recover remains that is becoming increasingly important as time goes by. (Kevin Dougherty/Stars and Stripes)
Nine Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command teams are in Vietnam and Laos searching for 10 U.S. servicemembers missing from the Vietnam War.
Over 50 JPAC representatives, split into two joint U.S.-Vietnamese teams and three JPAC recovery teams, are searching for five missing servicemembers in Vietnam’s Dak Nong, Tra Vinh, Bac Lieu, Kon Tum and Lang An provinces, a JPAC statement said Friday.
Another 50 JPAC team members, making up one specialized investigative team and three recovery teams, are working in the Laotian provinces of Houaphan and Xiangkhouang to find another five missing servicemembers.
Both missions are expected to last about 30 days, the statement said.
JPAC falls under the U.S. Pacific Command and is tasked with searching for the more than 83,000 Americans still missing from past conflicts. It employs more than 500 military and civilian personnel.