News-Info-Alerts

To: ALL

From: Andi Wolos & Bob Necci

(POW-MIA InterNetwork)

Re: POW-MIA News Release

Date: April 30, 1999

NEWS RELEASE
JOINT TASK FORCE-FULL ACCOUNTING PUBLIC AFFAIRS (808) 477-5301

RELEASE NO. #99-8
APRIL 30, 1999

HAWAII MIA SEARCH TEAM DEPLOYS TO VIETNAM

CAMP H.M. SMITH, HAWAII - A team of 118 mostly Hawaii-based US military specialists left for Vietnam this morning with hopes of recovering remains that may lead to the identification of American service members listed as missing in action since the war in Southeast Asia.

On Tuesday, members from Joint Task Force-Full Accounting at Camp Smith and the US ArmyÕs Central Identification Lab at Hickam Air Force Base will join technical representatives from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to begin joint investigations and remains recovery operations in 24 Vietnamese provinces. Forty-seven cases involving potential aircraft and ground losses are scheduled for investigation during the 30-day operation. There are also six primary excavation sites and 13 alternate locations.

Since 1973, the remains of 520 American service members, formerly listed as unaccounted for, have been identified and returned to their families. There are currently 2,063 Americans still unaccounted-for from the war in Southeast Asia, 1,537 in Vietnam.

This will be the 40th Joint Field Activity conducted in Vietnam, and the 99th overall JFA in the tri-country region of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia since Joint Task Force-Full Accounting was formed in January 1992 at Camp Smith. The 118 team members are comprised of 45 US Army, 25 Air Force, 33 Navy, six Marines, and nine Department of Defense civilians.