VIETNAM –
The Acting Secretary of the Navy recently visited a Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency excavation site in Vietnam, June 23, 2026.
During the visit to the site, Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao observed firsthand the rigorous operations DPAA conducts to recover missing U.S. personnel from past conflicts.
“I had the opportunity of visiting the amazing men and women of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, DPAA,” said Cao in a video statement highlighting his visit to DPAA in Hawaii and Vietnam. “As you know, my number one priority is taking care of our people. That is not limited to those serving today, or who have come home from their deployments. That also includes making sure every service member, even those missing or held as prisoners, come home.”
While in Vietnam, DPAA Detachment 2 leadership welcomed the acting secretary and his delegation to the country and reinforced the global importance of the agency's mission, particularly in Vietnam.
Throughout the site visit, the acting secretary gained an appreciation for the austere conditions, extreme heat and physically demanding nature of DPAA recovery operations. He praised the personnel who dedicated their time and energy to the mission, noting the team's remarkable dedication to delivering answers to Gold Star Families despite the grueling environment.
“It was an honor to host Acting Secretary of the Navy, Honorable Hung Cao, at our Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency joint recovery site in Vietnam,” said U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Matthew Brousseau, Detachment 2 deputy commander. “From the excavation site to the wet screening and Life Support Investigator stations, the delegation saw the sheer grit required to operate in these austere environments.”
During his visit to the recovery site, Cao coined two Sailors, Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Patrick Labbs and Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Tarek Elkaffas, and two Marines, Staff Sgt. Jordan Babb and Lance Cpl. Chloe Zimmerer. The four were DPAA short term individual augmentees who deployed to support DPAA recovery operations in Vietnam and were recognized for their contributions to the DPAA mission, providing the fullest possible accounting of missing U.S. personnel to their families and the nation.
To the professionals of DPAA, here and working around the world, thank you for what you do for our Sailors and Marines and all service members, their families, and our nation,” Cao said. “We are Americans. We leave no one behind."