Nov. 24, 2025

Introducing the DPAA Detachment 2 Commander

HANOI, Vietnam — U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jason Kim has officially assumed command of Detachment 2, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency in Hanoi, from Lt. Col. Travis Walter on July 25, 2025, marking a new chapter in the ongoing mission to recover and identify American service members missing from the Vietnam War.

Nov. 18, 2025

DPAA Laboratories completes annual proficiency testing

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii — The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency has completed annual lab proficiency testing on Oct. 31, reaffirming the agency’s commitment to the highest standards of scientific excellence in its mission to account for America’s missing personnel. Following its recent accreditation by the American National Standards Institute National Accreditation Board, DPAA laboratories are still required to complete annual competency testing to maintain adherence to national scientific standards.

Nov. 18, 2025

From Computer Science Student to DPAA Forensic Anthropologist

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii — At the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, some of the sharpest minds in the U.S. dedicate their skills to the recovery of missing U.S. personnel, and to provide the fullest possible accounting to their families and the Nation. Scientists and anthropologists who undertake this mission are valued beyond measure for not only their work, but their dedication to this mission. Dr. Kyle McCormick, DPAA forensic anthropologist and scientific recovery expert, is one such scientist, who was one of the first GS-civilian hires for DPAA during its transition from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command.

Sept. 23, 2025

DPAA and LABANOF host the 2025 Scientific Summit in Milan, Italy

MILAN, Italy — The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, in partnership with the Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology and Odontology, also known as LABANOF, hosted the fourth Scientific Summit at the University of Milan, Sept. 17–20, 2025. Fewer than 81,000 U.S. service members remain unaccounted for from past conflicts, the majority from World War II. Many of those losses are tied to European battlefields, making this summit both geographically and historically significant.

Aug. 12, 2025

US, Vietnam Team Returns Possible Remains of Vietnam War Missing, Supporting Identification Efforts

DA NANG PROVINCE, Vietnam — In a poignant repatriation ceremony held, July 25, 2025, in Da Nang province, a joint U.S.-Vietnamese team marked the end of a significant recovery mission aimed at supporting the identification of those still missing from the Vietnam War. Members of the 25-3VN Underwater Recovery Team, working alongside the Vietnamese Office for Seeking Missing Persons, Vietnam Detachment 2, and U.S. Embassy Hanoi carefully loaded possible remains onto caskets bound for the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency's laboratory in Hawaii.