Today Michael Linnington, the newly appointed director for the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, met with the D.C. based staff to discuss his philosophy and his vision for the way forward for the organization. He opened by saying that he was here to lead the Agency for the long haul and his immediate goal is to move from the current transition environment to a steady state with an eye toward constant process improvement. He said, “The Army has been my family for over 30 years and to continue to serve in this new capacity fulfills an important part of the soldier’s creed, ‘To leave no soldier behind.’ I am proud to be here and to be a part of this mission that fulfills that obligation to those who served and paid the ultimate price with their lives.”
He outlined his top four near-term priorities. First, he stressed the importance of continuing the mission and recovering our fallen from the fields of battle. Second, he is focused on completing the reorganization and clearing any sense of uncertainty that the current transition has created. Third, he wants the organization to explore cloud base case management solutions. Lastly, he wants to foster an environment that elicits positive and constructive communications.
Linnington said his three guiding principles, training, trust and teamwork, are paramount to an individual’s and an organization’s success. He believes our focus on these principles will successfully guide the organization in its mission to provide the fullest possible accounting for those from past conflicts.
Next week, Linnington will visit personnel in Hawaii as he continues to train and learn more about the mission and the Agency.