News-Info-Alerts

Re: 74th JFA to Laos Mission

To: ALL

From: Andi Wolos & Bob Necci

(POW-MIA InterNetwork)

Date: July 08, 2002

"June 24, 2002
JOINT TASK FORCE-FULL ACCOUNTING
PUBLIC AFFAIRS RELEASE NO. #02-08

MIA SEARCH TEAM DEPLOYS TO LAOS ON 74th JFA (02-4L) MISSION

CAMP H.M. SMITH, HAWAII - A Joint Field Activity consisting of four recovery teams and one investigation team will deploy on Tuesday from Hawaii with hopes of investigating and conducting recovery operations leading to the identification of Americans still missing or unaccounted for from the war in Southeast Asia. The teams consist of 50 mostly Hawaii-based U.S. military specialists from Joint Task Force-Full Accounting and the U.S. Army's Central Identification Laboratory Hawaii and the Defense Intelligence Agency, Joint Field Operating Base, Hawaii (Stony Beach).

On arrival, team members will be joined by technical representatives from the Lao People's Democratic Republic to begin investigation and remains recovery operations. Recovery excavations are scheduled at five primary sites in two Lao provinces. The investigation team is scheduled to investigate up to nine cases in four provinces involving missing or unaccounted-for servicemen, including eight last known alive cases, during the 30-day field activity.

Since 1973, the remains of 732 American service members, formerly listed as missing or unaccounted for in Southeast Asia, have been identified and returned to their families. There are currently 1,908 Americans still missing or unaccounted for from the war in Southeast Asia: 1,442 in Vietnam, 400 in Laos, 58 in Cambodia, and eight in the territorial waters of China.

The investigation and recovery teams consist of service members from the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps as well as Department of Defense civilians from CILHI, JTF-FA and representatives from Stony Beach.

U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii
310 Worchester Ave, Hickam AFB, Hawaii 96853"