Photo By Tech. Sgt. David Owsianka | Dr. Jeffrey Johnson, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Indo-Pacific chief of research...... read more read more
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Visitors with the French portion of the International Visitor Leadership Program, World War II section, received a tour of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency facilities here, April 10, 2025.
The tour provided an in-depth look into DPAA's mission, the process of recovery and identification, and the agency’s commitment to accounting for missing personnel, culminating in a visit to the world’s largest skeletal laboratory.
“It was amazing to host and showcase what we do as an agency with an incredible group of individuals who are doing amazing work,” said Kelley Esh, DPAA Indo-Pacific chief of research for World War II. “Being able to share the extensive work that we are doing throughout the world in person makes a huge difference in being able to effectively share what we do with others.”
The International Visitor Leadership Program is a U.S. government professional exchange program that fosters mutual understanding between the United States and other countries. It was founded to build long-term relationships with international leaders in various fields through short-term visits to the U.S.
The program's beginning coincided with the start of WWII, with the initial focus on building connections and promoting understanding during a period of global conflict.
“It was a privilege to discuss the work of the DPAA in such detail,” said Thibaut Keutchayan, an educator and regional advisor to the National Office of Veterans and Victims of War. “Our conversations highlighted the significance of their efforts on an American level, especially when compared to similar initiatives in France. Two key aspects that inspire us to provide more support and improve access to data are the digitalization of information and the connections established with the families of those being sought or found.”
Since the foundation of DPAA and its predecessor agencies, U.S. Defense Department personnel have continuously conducted search and recovery operations to find missing personnel from previous wars that the U.S. has been involved in. A majority of DPAA efforts in Europe focus on recovering remains from WWII, particularly from battlefields and aircraft crashes.
DPAA conducts recovery missions in France, specially focusing on locating and recovering missing personnel. Missions in France target sites associated with the D-Day invasion and other WWII battles, aiming to identify and bring home the remains of those still unaccounted for.
“The incredible work of the DPAA illustrates the American commitment to honoring their history and expressing gratitude toward their soldiers,” said Thibault Bourdin, content creator and founder of La Folle Histoire/Carbon 14. “It was both fascinating and moving to learn about the long and meticulous identification process, which includes everything from excavations to the return of the remains to the family, as well as the laboratory work involved. I was very pleased to have the opportunity to meet these teams.”
The visitors were able to gain valuable insight on DPAA’s mission to take home with them to hopefully further the agency’s mission of searching for and recovering missing personnel in France.
“The more that we can talk and share our mission with others the better we can amplify what we do in other countries,” Esh said. “Our relationships with the nations that host us as we conduct search and recovery operations is very important, and continuing to have tours like this will continue to strengthen our international ties.”
Currently DPAA has a recovery team actively searching for potential U.S. personnel remains in France.
| Date Taken: | 04.10.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.11.2025 20:10 |
| Story ID: | 495182 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 15 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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