HANOI, Vietnam –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), in partnership with the Vietnam Office for Seeking Missing Persons (VNOSMP), officially launched the 142nd Joint Field Activity (JFA) in Danang, Vietnam, on Feb. 21. More than 50 recovery team specialists from the United States arrived in Danang on Feb. 21, and will commence the JFA once they complete a 14-day quarantine as required by the Vietnamese Ministry of Health.
This is the first time that DPAA personnel have deployed to Vietnam since March 2020 due to the COVID pandemic. This JFA was planned closely with the Government of Vietnam as a part of three decades of sustained bilateral cooperation to provide the fullest possible accounting of U.S. personnel missing from the war. The team will be operating in Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua-Thien Hue, and Quang Nam provinces.
U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel J. Kritenbrink remarked that, “The United States personnel accounting mission remains a core pillar of cooperation between the U.S. and Vietnam. The 142nd JFA further highlights this 30-year partnership. These efforts have laid the foundation for the entire bilateral relationship by deepening trust and mutual respect between our two countries.”