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Never forget - Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command

By: lar

JPAC Detachments
JPAC maintains three permanent overseas detachments in Southeast Asia, each operated by a lieutenant colonel, to assist with command and control, logistics, and in-country support during investigation and recovery operations. JPAC also maintains a fourth detachment, Detachment Four, at Camp Smith, Hawaii, which is responsible for recovery team personnel when they are not deployed.

JPAC Detachment One, Bangkok, Thailand
Detachment One is located in Bangkok, Thailand, with its offices located in the US Embassy. Det One officially stood-up in January 1992 as one of four geographically separated detachments. Det One's mission is to provide the administrative and logistical support required to conduct field operations in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and Burma. With a forward operating logistics location at U`tapao Royal Thai Naval Air Station in Pattaya, Thailand, JPAC is able to utilize host country facilities for transit of personnel and pre-positioning of equipment. Lt. Col. Peter G. Huddle, U.S. Air Force, is the current commander of Det One. He is supported by six military personnel and five civilians. In addition to serving as the logistics hub for operations in Southeast Asia, Det One is responsible for investigative and field activities in Cambodia. These duties entail monthly liaison visits to Cambodia and two Joint Field Activities (JFAs) per year.

JPAC Detachment Two, Hanoi, Vietnam
Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command's Detachment Two is selectively manned joint duty, geographically separated and forward deployed in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV). The Det Two mission is to plan, coordinate and execute humanitarian efforts to account-for and resolve the fates of unaccounted-for Americans from the Vietnam War. Lt. Col. James E. Saenz, U.S. Army, is the current commander of Det Two. Four Joint Field Activities (JFAs) are conducted each year. Each JFA lasts approximately 30 days. During field operations, we support investigative and recovery teams that consist of 95 American military members and United States Department of Defense civilian employees, 20 representatives of the Vietnamese Government and up to 600 local workers. We are the United States Government's

JPAC Detachment Three, Vientiane, Laos
Detachment Three is located in Vientiane, Laos with its offices located in the U.S. Embassy. Det Three was officially established in January 1992 as one of four geographically separated detachments under Joint Task Force-Full Accounting Headquarters at Camp Smith, Hawaii. Det Three 's mission is to provide command, control, and logistical support required to conduct field operations in Laos. With a forward operating logistics location in Savannakhet, Laos, Det Three is able to utilize host country equipment and facilities for transit of personnel and pre-positioning of equipment. Lt. Col. Brandt Deck, U.S. Army, is the current commander of Det Three. He is supported by three military personnel, two DoD civilians, and seven host nation civilian personnel. Det Three is responsible for the safe conduct of five field operations per fiscal year. These duties entail monthly liaisons with various members of the government of the Lao People's Democratic Republic.

JPAC Detachment Four, Oahu, Hawaii
Detachment Four is located on Camp H.M. Smith on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Det. Four's mission is to provide mission essential training, recovery mission planning, and command and control of recovery teams when not under the operational control of Detachments 1-3. Det. Four deploys teams on over 75 missions per year to conduct World Wide Recovery Operations to achieve the fullest possible accounting of Americans still unaccounted-for from our nation's previous conflicts. The detachment consists of 100 joint-service members divided into 18 recovery teams. Det. 4 is also charged with integrating Active Duty specialists to augment recovery teams. These specialists typically come from the fields of Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Medical, Communications, and Life Support Investigation. When directed, Det. Four also deploys teams to assist with contingency humanitarian operations.

Remains of missing service members are returned to the Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii for identification. Currently the laboratory is identifying about 2 service men a week - over a hundred a year. There is one American still missing from Operations Desert Shield/Storm, and there are more than 1,750 from the Vietnam War, 120 from the Cold War, more than 8,100 from the Korean War, and more than 78,000 from World War II.

Until they are home...

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Larry Westfall is a frequent traveler to Thailand visiting 2 to 3 times per year and owner of Hotel in Pattaya
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