Missing in action

Missing in action (MIA) refers to a soldier who is reported to have gone missing during active service. The soldier may have been killed, injured, captured or deserted. It is not known what happened to them. If they are dead, neither their body nor grave can be found or identified. Going missing in action has been a risk for people in armed forces for as long as there has been war.

 World War II 
According to the US Dept of Defense as of December 30, 2021:
 MIAS-North America: 2,359
 MIAS-South America:   646
 MIAS-Europe:       20,908
 MIAS-Middle East:      16
 MIAS-Africa:          984
 MIAS-Asia/Pacific: 47,063
 Total of MIA US Servicemen/civilians: 72,350 30,2021 Accessed December 31,2021

According to official US Department of Army and Department of Navy casualty records, submitted to Congress in 1946 and updated in 1953, the combined possible total of missing service personnel worldwide is closer to approximately 6600 and probably considerably fewer. Since DPAA alone designates such WWII personnel as the crew of the USS Arizona and most of that of USS Oklahoma as both "missing" and "unaccounted-for" it is possible that DPAA records keeping may be somewhat idiosyncratic.

 Korean War 
+ US Department of Defense Loss concentrations maps estimation of US MIAS/POWS as being lost in North Korea in 1954Department of Defense map of North Korea with estimated loss concentrations." dpaa.mil. Retrieved: December 17, 2015. and in 2017.Department of Defense map of North Korea with estimated loss concentrations." dpaa. mil. March 20,2017. Retrieved March 28, 2017. Location 1954 2017POW CAMPS 1,200-1,273  883-1,200Apex (270);Camp 5 (322}; Death Valley Camp {250); Valley #1 {41}Unsan/Chongchan area1,109-1,559 1,294-1,549 Unsan {250}; Kuryong {176}; Kujang {276}; Kunuri {403}; Pyongyang Cemetery {184}DMZ891,000UN Cemeteries266 {Koto-Ri; Hungnam; Wonsam; Pyongyang}[233]As of 2017 Pyongyang and Hungnam UN Cemeteries totals Listed under Unsan/Chongchan and Chosin Reservoir areasChosin Reservoir area523-1,002598-1,079Yudamni {196}; Sinhung {100};Twiggae {223}; Kotori Cemetery {30}; Hungnam Cemetery {49}Suan Camps0 185Totals3,260-4,116 3,960-3,828On June 19, 2018 Fox News reported North Korea to send to US remains of up to 200 American Service members.Conservative Forum quoting Fox news Update 1 US MIA was returned from South Korea and likewise 55 boxes of remains were returned from North Korea July 27,2018. Update August 19,2018

According to the US Dept of Defense as of December 30,2021: Total of MIA US Servicemen: 7,550 The Dpaa.mil map of casualites gives total as 7,550-the PMKOR lower Number "Reflects actual number still unaccounted-for. PMKOR database count is slightly higher due to several entries pending administrative review. DPAA.mil" 

 Vietnam War 
According to the US Dept of Defense as of December 30,2021: Total of MIA US Servicemen/Civilians: 1,584

 Cold War 
According to the US Dept of Defense as of December 30, 2021:
MIAS-Asia/Pacifc             108
MIAS-europe                    8
 MIAS-Gulf Wars/Middle East:   5
 MIAS-El Dorado Canyon/Africa: 1
Total of MIA Servicemen:      126DPAA 2021-30-12 accessed December 31,2021

As of December 30,2021 Total US MIAS World War II to present: 81,616 DPAA 2021-01-12. Accessed December 31, 2021

 Related pages 
 Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
 Garden of the Missing in Action

References

 Other websites 
 DoD Instruction 1300.18  "Personnel Casualty Matters, Policies, and Procedures" From the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, January 8, 2008
 Graphic photos showing recovery of missing Russian soldiers' remains dating from the Second World War
 U.S.-Russia Joint MIA/POW Commission 
 Report of the State Senate Committee on POW/MIA Affairs at the Library of Congress
 Current status of MIA's from the Vietnam War
 Blog covers Widow’s travels to Vietnam in search of her MIA husband’s jet crash site in Que Son Mtns 


Category:War
Category:Military terminology