News-Info-Alerts

To: ALL

From: Bob Necci & Carol Hrdlicka, Andi Wolos
(POW-MIA FaxNetwork)

Re: Directive On Personnel Recovery

Date: July 21, 1997

From DPMO -

"On June 30, 1997, the Deputy Secretary of Defense signed the first DoD Directive on Personnel Recovery (PR). The Directive establishes policy and assigns responsibilities throughout DoD for personnel recovery. The Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) is also consummating agreements with other agencies of the U.S. government to ensure the full weight of the nationÍs military, diplomatic, and intelligence capability can be brought to bear to guarantee the safety and successful recovery of isolated servicemembers.

DPMO is responsible for policy, control and oversight within the Department of Defense for the entire process of investigation and recovery related to missing personnel, including matters related to search, rescue, escape, and evasion. DPMO established a vision for the future of personnel recovery which ensures that DoD has a fully integrated PR architecture that ensures the recovery of U.S. personnel worldwide. DPMO's goal for the next century is to have a PR architecture that enhances DoD's worldwide capability to recover through military means, U.S., allied, coalition, friendly military, paramilitary, and other designated personnel when directed, who are placed in danger of isolation, beleaguerment, detention, or capture as a result of hostile or non-hostile action. DoDÍs future PR architecture must also support and complement the recovery of personnel through diplomatic or other means."