The
nation’s largest and oldest major combat organization is supportive of a
Pentagon announcement to realign the organizations charged with locating and
identifying tens of thousands of American troops who have yet to return home
from their wars.
“What’s
most important about this initiative is that the Full Accounting Mission
continues, and we appreciate Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s personal
involvement to reshape a multi-organizational structure that shares unity of
purpose into one that also shares unity of command,” said William A. Thien, a
Vietnam veteran and national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the
United States.
Over
the next 18 months, a Pentagon team will examine the requirements necessary to
merge policy guidance, archival research and analysis, and worldwide field
investigations and recovery operations into one organization. Those tasks are
currently performed by the Defense POW/MIA Office, the Joint POW/MIA Accounting
Command, and portions of the Air Force Life Science Equipment Laboratory. Also
being realigned is the scientific element of the mission, which moves JPAC’s
Central Identification Laboratory under the Armed Forces Medical Examiner,
which already encompasses the Armed Forces DNA Laboratory. Included in
the new look will be a centralized budget, a consolidated case management
system, and expanded public-private partnerships.
“Any
effort that helps to recover, identify and return more missing service
personnel to their loved ones is a positive initiative,” said Thien, “and the
VFW looks forward to continuing to work with the secretary and his team to make
this happen.”