Austin Says Finding the Missing is the Nation's 'Ironclad Commitment'

Locating and identifying the remains of service members killed in conflicts remains the Defense Department and the nation's "ironclad commitment," said Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III.

Austin spoke today at a National Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Recognition Day ceremony at the Pentagon.

During the secretary's 41 years of Army service, he said the soldier's creed has been to never leave a fallen comrade behind. "We lived that value, and we still do. We bring our troops home no matter what."

Over just the past year, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency has identified the remains of 111 service members killed during World War II, 28 from the Korean War and four from the Vietnam War, he noted. "No, that's quite a feat."

The agency works with diplomates and others from 46 nations to recover remains, relying on their cooperation and assistance, he added.

During his first month as secretary, Austin visited the agency's laboratory in Hawaii, where anthropologists, archaeologists and other scientists identify the remains using the latest forensic techniques. "It's hard work both physically and emotionally, but … it's a labor of love and it is a sacred calling," Austin said.

"From my office, I look out into this parade ground, and every day I see the American flag and the POW/MIA flag. And that flag's motto is a rallying cry, not only for everyone who works in the Pentagon, but also wherever it flies across the country, and it says, 'you were not forgotten,'" the secretary said.

The families of those still missing suffer and mourn and wait. "You have endured terrible uncertainty, lived with terrible absence and suffered terrible grief. We are humbled by your strength, and we're inspired by your resilience. We are proud to stand with you and we are proud to work with you. Because we will never give up. We will never lose hope, and we will always honor the sacrifice and service of your loved ones," he said.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., thanked the POWs and families in attendance as well as families of those still missing, and the service organizations that support them.

"Throughout the history of our nation, service members have answered the call to defend liberty. … These heroes have faced trials many of us can scarcely imagine. Some were captured by enemy forces and held in horrific conditions. Others never made it home. Their legacy lives on in the hearts of their families, their fellow service members and the very fabric of our nation," he said.