NOTICE OF CLASSIFIED INFORMATION WITHHELD BY THE DEFENSE PRISONER OF WAR/MISSING PERSONNEL OFFICE (DPMO) FROM THE PRIMARY NEXT OF KIN, OTHER MEMBERS OF THE IMMEDIATE FAMILY, AND THE PREVIOUSLY DESIGNATED PERSON

     Under the provisions of section 1506 (b) of the Missing Persons Act, classified information may be withheld from the redacted case file of a missing person. Under the provisions of the same section, however, DPMO is required to notify primary next of kin (PNOK), other members of the immediate family, and the previously designated person of any withheld classified information in our possession that may pertain to their missing family member. This notification is provided by posting, in the redacted case file, a notice that the withheld information exists and the date of the most recent review of the classification of the withheld information, such that the notice will be readily available to the PNOK, other members of the immediate family, and the previously designated person at the time they review the file.

     As a matter of policy and in the spirit of open disclosure to family members, DPMO also will provide notification of the existence of generic classified information (i.e., a direct connection or nexus does not exist between the classified information and the disappearance, whereabouts, or status of a particular missing person) in the possession of DPMO that pertains to missing persons generally. The PNOK, other members of the immediate family, and the previously designated person will receive notice of the existence of such classified information being provided at the time they review the redacted case file of their missing family member. A file will be provided for their review that will contain a notice of the existence of the generic classified information. The notification will provide, if possible, an unclassified document identifier and the date the classified information was last reviewed for declassification.