Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office 2002 Annual Report

摘要

From World War II to the present, more than 88,000 Americans remain missing in action. The United States government is dedicated to achieving the fullest possible accounting for these patriots and their families. The mission of accounting for this nation's POWs and MIAs was scattered among several agencies, until it became clear that one single office should have responsibility to establish and oversee a consistent, government-wide effort. The Defense POW/Missing in Action Office was established in July 1993. In 1996, Congress passed the Missing Persons Act, which placed the responsibility for policy oversight of Personnel Accounting and Personnel Recovery into one office under the Secretary of Defense. To reflect our expanded mission, our name was then changed to the Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office. Our new office uses historical data, witness their worldwide mission. It begins with the research necessary to establish case files for those still unaccounted for and moves through our other responsibilities in personnel accounting. Later, the report addresses our mission of personnel recovery, where by we return safely to U.S. control Americans in harms way. The report concludes by showing how we communicate our mission to the families, the Congress and the American people.