JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii –
U.S. Navy Capt. Meghan Bodnar brings decades of naval leadership and nuclear operations expertise to her new role as deputy director for operations at the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.
The seasoned officer, who most recently served as reactor officer aboard USS Nimitz (CVN 68) and previously commanded the guided missile destroyer USS Gridley (DDG 101), assumed her DPAA position on June 2, 2025.
In a recent interview, Bodnar discussed her transition from managing nuclear reactors and ship deployments to overseeing the complex global mission of accounting for America's missing service members – a challenge she describes as both uniquely demanding and deeply fulfilling.
Where were you before DPAA? Could you elaborate on your previous assignments?
“My career experience so far has been mainly at sea attached to different types of ships. Most recently I was the reactor officer on USS Nimitz. In that role, I was responsible for a department of about 500 nuclear trained sailors and the operation, maintenance, and supervision of the ship’s two nuclear reactors. Before that, I was first the executive officer, then the commanding officer, of the guided missile destroyer USS Gridley, which is homeported in Everett, Washington. When I was in command, we deployed to seventh and fifth fleets, so we spent a fair amount of time in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Most of my previous sea tours were also on other CVNs and DDGs, and also deployed predominantly to the Middle East.”
What educational background led you to down that career path?
“I went to the Naval Academy and got my degree in oceanography. I really loved being an oceanography major. I thought it was fascinating and I got to do some really cool things as a midshipman. For example, one winter I went to Antarctica as part of earning my oceanography degree with a focus on polar oceanography. We met a Coast Guard ice breaker in Hobart, Tasmania, and performed science experiments at sea all the way down to Antarctica, and then spent a few days at McMurdo Station, where we did more science experiments. A truly once-in-a-lifetime experience.
By the time I was commissioning, however, I had decided that being a Navy Nuke would be a bigger challenge, so I interviewed and was accepted for the Navy’s nuclear power program. At the time, women were not eligible for submarine service, so I service-selected surface warfare and went off to my first ship, USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) in San Diego, California. After my tour on Bonhomme Richard, I completed my nuclear power training pipeline and then headed to my first aircraft carrier tour, at the time, the Pre-commissioning Unit George H W Bush (CVN 77) in Norfolk, Virginia.”
Was there something about this role as DDO that drew you in?
“Well, first and foremost, the mission is so unique and important, and totally different than what I have done so far in my naval career. As DDO, I also am starting to see the interesting challenges associated with leading such a large organization of people spread out across the world, and with such diverse backgrounds. I haven’t yet been a part of an organization that was majority civilian, which adds a new dynamic for me. I love how the people in this organization are so talented and such experts in what they do, whether they are historians, anthropologists, mission specialists, you name it. I also love the active environment the agency works in. We're constantly talking to a variety of outside agencies, whether they are veteran support organizations or some of our university partners or senior government officials. The people that we are communicating with are so varied and their interactions with the agency are so different as well, so I would say it's a fascinating challenge.”
Had you heard of DPAA before looking at the opportunities?
“I’ll be honest, I was not tracking this agency or its activities long before I learned of this opportunity. My career up to this point has been very operational and focused primarily on the Navy, and even my shore tours, for the most part, were very closely related to those operational tours. There weren’t many opportunities to think outside that scope of operations. That is one of the reasons I appreciate this tour. I’ve never worked with so many other service members from different services before. For example. I have never met more Army personnel in my career combined than I have met in the last two months. So, it's educational for me in many aspects, including my opportunity to really see how other services think, how they operate, how they communicate. I think that's probably the point of a joint tour, but I'm certainly seeing that.”
What do you hope to accomplish during your time at DPAA?
“Some of the folks that I have met at DPAA have been with the agency, in its various forms, for decades. For me, this tour is just not very long, only a couple years. So, I have the challenge of trying to have an impact even in that very small amount of time when surrounded by people who could be here for very much longer. I'd like to approach it the way I have approached most of my tours, because again, they're all about two years or so, so you never have much time. At the end of the day, the goal is to have a positive impact on the organization and its ability to meet its mission, to ‘move the needle,’ if you will.”
As Bodnar settles into her new role overseeing global operations at DPAA, her perspective reflects both the complexity and profound purpose of the mission ahead. "It's a fascinating challenge that I welcome undertaking, especially because the mission is so amazing," she said. "And at the end of the day, even if it is a difficult problem to solve, you don't have to look hard to find fulfillment because we're doing so much to bring answers to families."
From nuclear reactors to humanitarian recovery operations, Bodnar continues to serve where the mission demands both technical expertise and unwavering dedication to her fellow service members—past and present.