ACCOUNTING FOR POW/MIA MILITARY PERSONNEL

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 
Mission Fulfills Sacred Pledge, POW/MIA Official Says
By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, July 23, 2013 - No matter what it takes, no matter how long it takes, the nation must continue to fulfill its sacred pledge to account for its missing warriors, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for prisoner of war and missing personnel affairs said today.

"We honor the sacrifices of our missing and the sacrifices of their families," W. Montague "Q" Winfield told attendees at the Veterans of Foreign Wars national convention in Louisville, Ky.

Winfield, also the director of the Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office, leads the national effort to achieve the fullest possible accounting of the more than 83,000 warriors lost while serving the United States. He also is responsible for limiting the loss and capture of Americans serving abroad in current operations.

In the last year, Winfield said, the Joint Prisoners of War, Missing in Action Accounting Command has accounted for 64 missing warriors -- seven from World War II, 40 from the Korean War and 17 from the Vietnam War.

Additionally, the White House recently approved the charter for a joint U.S.-Russia commission. "This is a wonderful, wonderful advancement," he said, "because it will allow us to increase our bilateral relationship with our Russian counterparts as we seek to get more access to their archives."

One of the most important aspects of his job is meeting with family members of missing service members, Winfield said. One of those family members recently showed him a letter written from Vietnam in late 1970 by Army Sgt. George C. Green Jr., a radio operator in the 5th Special Forces Group.

"In the last paragraph of what was to be his last letter home to his mom, he wrote, 'If I am killed, no one will ever recover my body, because I don't want anyone to risk their life for this worthless piece of clay,'" Winfield said.

In December 1970, Green's reconnaissance patrol in Laos was engaged by an enemy force, and he was killed during the firefight.

"Because of the intensity of that firefight, his team had to leave his remains behind," Winfield said. "Like thousands before him, Sergeant Green answered the call to duty. Like thousands before him, Sergeant Green was a humble soldier. Like thousands before him, Sergeant Green laid down his life for his brothers in arms. Like thousands before him, Sergeant Green paid the price for our freedom with his life.

"Sergeant Green may have felt that he was a worthless piece of clay, but to us, he was and is an American hero, deserving our nation's highest priority and enduring effort," Winfield continued. "He is not forgotten."

A widow once told him that people don't appreciate a funeral until there isn't one, Winfield said.

"The men and women of the accounting community are dedicated [and] committed to doing everything humanly possible to account for America's heroes -- those who are still missing. We believe in that mission," he said.

'PACOM COMMANDER SUPPORTS REVIEW OF JPAC'

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 
Pacom Commander Supports Review of JPAC
By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, July 11, 2013 - The Joint Prisoners of War, Missing in Action Accounting Command has an important and unique global mission and a sacred duty, so defense leaders must ensure the unit has the organizational construct, the right oversight and the right direction, the commander of JPAC's higher headquarters said today.

Navy Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, responded to Pentagon reporters' questions about JPAC during a news conference here. JPAC conducts global search, recovery, and laboratory operations to identify the remains of unaccounted-for Americans from past conflicts. The Hawaii-based unit reports to Pacom.

Media outlets reported earlier this week that an internal review performed at JPAC had indicated organizational issues. Locklear pointed out the unit has a limited, set number of experts to perform its unique mission.

"I do think that there are areas where we need to take harder looks at how it is organized and how the mission steps are prioritized," the admiral said. He added he's very supportive of the announcement by James N. Miller, undersecretary of defense for policy, that the department will perform a deeper review of JPAC operations.

"The people in that organization are good people," Locklear said. "And they've done a lot of good work. And they continue to work in some very difficult conditions and difficult places under different political situations."

Locklear said the real issue, for him, is ensuring JPAC has prioritized where and how they pursue their mission, "so that we can get them on an up-ramp as far as number of remains that get recovered."

He noted the National Defense Authorization Act of 2010 set a goal of 200 recoveries a year by 2015. "And we're not approaching that," he said. Locklear said the political will of the nations JPAC operates in, along with support and access issues, often influence mission accomplishment.

"It's a very complex issue, globally, to try to get at," he said. " ... I just think that we need to work harder to make sure that the goal that they've been given, that they can achieve it."

Pentagon Press Secretary George Little told reporters during a July 9 news conference that reviewing JPAC operations is the prudent thing to do.

"We're going to review the concerns raised in the report to see how JPAC is or isn't functioning well," Little said. "And if steps need to be taken to remedy what's happening inside JPAC, then we'll take action."

DOD REVIEWING POW/MIA OPERATIONS COMMAND

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 
Defense Department to Review POW/MIA Command Operations
By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, July 9, 2013 - The Defense Department has a sacred obligation to recover missing service members, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little told reporters today at a news conference.

An internal review conducted by the office charged with that mission -- the Joint Prisoners of War, Missing in Action Accounting Command -- has raised concerns within DOD, Little said.

The results of the internal review are now with the office of the undersecretary of defense for policy, which has oversight over the recovery mission. Recent news reports have described organizational problems within the command.

"Sometimes media reports raise attention in ... a department of 3 million people," Little said. "It certainly sometimes helps to have press stories shed light on issues that are out there."

The office of the undersecretary of defense for policy will begin a review of JPAC operations and the issues described in the internal review soon, he said.

"It's the prudent thing to do, if concerns haven't been raised to the appropriate levels, to take a second look and to ensure that we're performing this very important mission to the best of our ability," Little said.

"We're going to review the concerns raised in the report to see how JPAC is or isn't functioning well," he said. "And if steps need to be taken to remedy what's happening inside JPAC, then we'll take action."