Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA)

The Daniel K. Inouye Center of Excellence laboratory is staffed by a remarkable team of scientists and specialists on a mission to provide the fullest possible accounting for missing U.S. personnel. This video offers a powerful glimpse into their vital work.

DPAA personnel gathered at the flight line on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on March 18 for an honorable carry ceremony for remains recovered during the most recent mission to Thailand. Each step reflects the commitment to honor the fallen and their families.

DPAA leadership joined Team Offutt for the inaugural Honorary Commander Induction, strengthening partnerships that support the mission to account for missing U.S. personnel. Sen. Rita Sanders was inducted as DPAA’s Honorary Commander.​ Read more: dpaa.mil/News-Stories/O…

U.S. Ambassador to Thailand Sean K. O’Neill joined DPAA personnel at a repatriation ceremony at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, marking the conclusion of a recovery mission in Thailand. The possible remains will now be sent to the DPAA lab in Hawaii for scientific analysis.

More than 50 years after he was lost during the Vietnam War, U.S. Army Warrant Officer Albert R. Trudeau, of Teaneck, New Jersey, was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery on Mar. 11, 2026.

DPAA senior leadership and staff from the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial visited an underwater recovery site in the Philippines on Mar. 7, joining the 26-1 PH recovery team to observe and assist with operations.

After more than a decade of service to the mission, DPAA bids farewell to Mrs. Fern Sumpter Winbush, DPAA Principal Deputy Director. Her leadership helped shape the agency and strengthen its commitment to the families of the unaccounted for.

📸By U.S. Army Sgt. Anthony Todd​ ​#DPAA #POWMIA #Thailand #AccountingForOurMissing

U.S. Ambassador to Thailand Sean K. O’Neill joined DPAA leadership at a recovery site in Thailand on March 8, to observe operations and learn more about DPAA’s ongoing effort to account for U.S. personnel still missing in Thailand from World War II.

The remains will now move to the labs at the Daniel K. Inouye DPAA Center of Excellence for forensic examination.​ 📸By U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Shay Stuart ​ #DPAA #POWMIA #HonorTheFallen #AccountingForTheMissing

DPAA personnel conducted an honorable carry ceremony at the flight line on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for remains recovered from the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.

The remains will now move to the labs at the Daniel K. Inouye DPAA Center of Excellence for forensic examination.​ 📸By U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Shay Stuart ​ #DPAA #POWMIA #HonorTheFallen #AccountingForTheMissing

For the first time, DPAA conducted a repatriation ceremony at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, marking 100 disinterments in FY2026. The remains will now travel to the DPAA labs in Hawaii for forensic analysis. Read more: dpaa.mil/News-Stories/O…

DPAA personnel disinterred five caskets from the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific as part of Phase 6 of the Korean War Identification Project. The remains were transferred to the Daniel K. Inouye DPAA Center of Excellence for forensic analysis.

In July 2025, Geoscope conducted excavation operations in Austria in support of DPAA’s mission, recovering possible evidence for forensic examination. Partnership in action. Progress toward answers. #DPAA #PartnerMission #NeverForgotten #Geoscope

DPAA Detachment 2 in Hanoi hosted the family of U.S. Air Force Capt. Paul Darwin Raymond on Feb. 26, 2026. Raymond, a pilot with the 557th Tactical Fighter Squadron, was lost when his F-4 Phantom went down during the Vietnam War.

Mission partners help expand DPAA’s global efforts to account for those still missing. In May–June 2025, Texas State University’s Center for Archaeological Studies and Forensic Anthropology Center supported excavations in France, recovering possible material evidence.

DPAA personnel gathered at the flight line on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on March 4 for an honorable carry at the conclusion of a recovery mission to Laos. The transfer case will now move to the lab at the Daniel K. Inouye DPAA Center of Excellence for forensic examination.

DPAA team members palletized gear on March 3, in preparation for an upcoming recovery mission to Vietnam. Every secured pallet reflects the planning and professionalism behind the mission to provide the fullest possible accounting.

Dr. Sarah C. M. Paine, Professor Emeritus at the @NavalWarCollege, visited the Daniel K. Inouye DPAA Center of Excellence on Feb. 27 for a tour and discussion on history, strategy, and the mission to account for our missing. #DPAA #POWMIA #NeverForgotten