May 14, 2026

Never Forgotten: ID tags of MIA aviator returned to family after 56 years

NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Hidden for decades beneath the soil of a Cambodian knoll, a small, weathered metal disc silently held the weight of half a century of grief, love and unanswered questions. For 56 years, the word “missing” hung heavy and undefined in the lives of the Huberth family. It was a void left by a son and brother. May 13, 2026, exactly 56 years to the day since his aircraft vanished during a combat mission, a tangible piece of U.S. Air Force Capt. Eric “Rick” Huberth finally came home.

May 11, 2026

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Hosted Detroit Family Member Update

DETROIT — Hundreds of family members gathered for a Family Member Update hosted by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, where officials shared updates on long-standing cases involving missing U.S. personnel from past conflicts on May 2, 2026. The event saw 446 attendees, with 339 attending for the first time, representing 248 missing personnel cases from World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.

April 23, 2026

Fulfilling Our Nation’s Promise: DNA Threshold to Disinter USS Arizona Unknowns Met

WASHINGTON — The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced that the 60% threshold of DNA Family Reference Samples has been met for the USS Arizona (BB-39) Unknown Identification Project. Reaching this 60% threshold allows DPAA to formally request and begin planning the disinterment of potentially 141 unknowns currently buried in multiple potentially commingled graves at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu. The official start date for this effort will be announced once the disinterments have been approved by the Department of War.

March 4, 2026

DPAA Conducts Repatriation Ceremony in Laos

LAOS — A Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency recovery team, Detachment 3, and Lao officials held a repatriation ceremony in Laos on Feb. 23, 2026. The ceremony marked the end of the joint field activity and the transfer of possible remains of American personnel unaccounted for from the Vietnam War.

Feb. 23, 2026

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Hosts Charleston Family Member Update: Unveils 2026 National POW/MIA Recognition Day Poster

CHARLESTON, S.C. — The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency hosted a Family Member Update on Feb. 21, where the agency provided updates to the Gold Star families on their loved one’s cases. The event saw more than 400 family members, representing nearly 230 missing U.S. personnel, with approximately 285 attending for the first time.