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Glossary

Researchers often read analytical reports which contain abbreviations or acronyms. This list may be of assistance.

Alphabetical Index
[ A ] [ B ] [ C ] [ D ] [ E ] [ F ] [ G ] [ H ] [ I ] [ J ] [ K ] [ L ] [ M ]
[ N ] [ O ] [ P ] [ Q ] [ R ] [ S ] [ T ] [ U ] [ V ] [ W ] [ X ] [ Y ] [ Z ]

- A -

ACC

Air Combat Command

 

Accounting

The process by which a person is accounted-for is:

1. Returned to United States control alive.
2. Returned through the repatriation of identifiable remains.
3. Determined through credible evidence that another status is supported.

 

Acronym

A word formed from the initial letters of other words.

 

AFDIL

Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory - Located in Rockville, Maryland. (Link to AFDIL Website)

 

AFIRB

Armed Forces Identification Review Board - A three-person board convened to validate remains identifications. It consists of one member from the Army, Navy (or Marine Corps), and Air Force.

 

AFRCC

Air Force Rescue Coordination Center

 

AMVETS

American Veterans of World War II, Korea and Vietnam

 

ART

Archival Research Team - Consists of members of the JTF-FA who conduct searches of Vietnamese, Cambodian and Lao archives.

- B -

BNR

Body Not Recovered

- C -

CAPMI

Computer Assisted Post Mortem Identification - A CILHI computerized list of ante-mortem dental records of all American servicemen unaccounted-for from the war in Southeast Asia. By cross-referencing this data with the remains dental information, CAPMI generates a list of likely candidates.

 

Casualty status

A term used to classify a casualty for reporting purposes. There are seven casualty statuses:

1. deceased
2. duty status-whereabouts unknown
3. missing
4. very seriously ill or injured
5. seriously ill or injured
6. incapacitating illness or injury
7. not seriously injured

 

CDO

Central Documentation Office - Tasked with declassification of DoD documents relating to Southeast Asia Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel. In 1993, the CDO was incorporated into DPMO.

 

CIA

Central Intelligence Agency

 

CILHI

Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii - Located at Hickam AFB in Hawaii; this United States Army organization is responsible for conducting search and recovery operations worldwide and performs all forensic identifications of remains. (Link to CILHI Website)

 

CINCPAC

Commander-In-Chief Pacific - Located at Camp H. M. Smith, Hawaii; the CINCPAC is the operational commander of all military forces in the Pacific region. JTF-FA is under the operational control of CINCPAC.

 

CMAOC

Casualty and Memorial Affairs Operations Center - A US Army organization

 

COALITION

Coalition of Families of Korean and Cold War POW/MIAs

 

Combat Search and Rescue

A specific task performed by rescue forces to effect the recovery of distressed personnel during war or military operations other than war.  Also called CSAR.

 

CSAR

See Combat Search and Rescue.

- D -

DASD

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense

 

DAV

Disabled American Veterans

 

DCI

Director of Central Intelligence

 

DIA

Defense Intelligence Agency

 

DHS

Defense Human Intelligence Services

 

DMZ

Demilitarized Zone

 

DNA

Deoxyribonucleic Acid - A molecular material found in cells containing the genetic "blueprints" of life. (Link to AFDIL DNA Donor Information Website)

 

DoD

Department of Defense

 

DoS

Department of State

 

DPMO

Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office

 

DPRK

Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (North Korea)

 

DSB

Defense Science Board - A group of individuals outside of DoD, recognized as experts in a particular field, asked to address scientific or technological issues faced by the DoD.

 

DUSTWUN

See Duty Status-Whereabouts Unknown.

 

Duty Status-Whereabouts Unknown

A transitory casualty status, applicable only to military personnel, that is used when the responsible commander suspects the member may be a casualty whose absence is involuntary, but does not feel sufficient evidence currently exists to make a definite determination of missing or deceased. Also called DUSTWUN. (see also casualty status)

- E -

EUSA

Eight US Army

 

EUSAK

Eight US Army Korea - No longer used, please see EUSA.

 

Evader

A person isolated in hostile or unfriendly territory who eludes capture.

- F -

FOIA

Freedom of Information Act

 

FPJMT

Four Party Joint Military Team

 

FSB

Fire Support Base

 

FSC

Field Search Case

 

Further Pursuit

Cases where we have specific next steps to pursue in the investigation process. For some of these, the lead is a single action; in others, several different approaches are necessary. (Please refer to the FAQ for additional details.)

- G -

{No entries at this time}

- H -

{No entries at this time}

- I -

ICRC

International Committee of the Red Cross

 

IIR

Intelligence Information Report

 

Investigation Deferred

Cases where we have exhausted all current leads. We must defer investigation of these cases until additional leads are developed. We know the least about these cases. Specifically, we do not know what happened to the individual at the time he or she went missing or, in some cases, we do not know what happened to the remains after the incident. In either case, we have run out of leads to follow. We view “deferred” as a transition status. (Please refer to the FAQ for additional details.)

 

Isolated personnel

Military of civilian personnel that have become separated from their unit or organization in an environment requiring them to survive, evade, or escape while awaiting rescue or recovery.

- J -

JCRC

Joint Casualty Resolution Center - Formed in January 1973 to resolve the fates of the unaccounted-for American servicemen from the Vietnam War. The JCRC was replaced by the JTF-FA in 1992.

 

JCS

Joint Chiefs of Staff - A collective body of the chiefs of the four military services headed by a chairman who serves to advise the President, National Security Council, and the Secretary of Defense. The Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff is the principal military advisor to the President.

 

JCSD

Joint Commission Support Directorate - The directorate within DPMO responsible for assisting the USRJC.

 

JFA

Joint Field Activity - A field operation which includes such activities as the investigation and surveys of suspected grave or crash sites, subsequent excavation of the grave or crash site, and the interviewing of witnesses.

 

JJLIST

Johnnie Johnson List (Korea)

 

JPRA

Joint Personnel Recovery Agency - Formerly JSSA

 

JRO

Joint Recovery Operation

 

JSSA

Joint Services SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) Agency - now JPRA

 

JTF-FA

Joint Task Force-Full Accounting - Located at Camp H. M. Smith, Hawaii, with detachments in Thailand, Vietnam and Laos. JTF-FA is the successor to JCRC and is the DoD agency responsible for conducting field operations to account for Americans from the Vietnam War.

- K -

KIA/BNR

Killed in Action, Body Not Recovered

 

KCWFAM

Korea/Cold War Family Association of the Missing

 

KIA

Killed in Action

 

KPA

Korean People's Army - The army of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea).

- L -

League

National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia

 

LKA

Last Known Alive - Cases in which the United States has information that the individual survived the loss incident and fell into enemy hands. In the case of air incidents, this includes cases in which the crewmembers are believed to have successfully exited their aircraft and to have been alive on the ground. In the case of ground incidents, this includes cases in which the individuals were last known alive, were not gravely wounded, and were in proximity to enemy forces.

 

LOC

Library of Congress (Link to LOC POW/MIA Database Website)

 

LPDR

Lao People’s Democratic Republic

 

LSEL

Life Sciences Equipment Laboratory - Located at Brooks AFB in San Antonio, Texas. (Link to LSEL Website)

 

LSI

Live Sighting Investigation - An on-site investigation conducted by members of Stony Beach, assisted by JTF-FA, based on reports of eyewitness accounts of live American POWs in Southeast Asia. We conduct these investigations with the cooperation of host governments. The US government initiated this program in 1991 and has conducted more than 140 such cases.

 

LZ

Landing Zone

- M -

MACV

Military Assistance Command Vietnam

 

MDR

Mandatory Declassification Review

 

MIA

Missing in Action

 

MIA-CAP

Missing in Action-Captured (Report of Korea POWs)

 

Missing

A casualty status for which the United States Code provides statutory guidance concerning missing members of the Military Services. Excluded are personnel who are in an absent without leave, deserter, or dropped-from-the-rolls status. A person declared missing is categorized as follows:

1. beleaguered – The casualty is a member of an organized element that has been surrounded by a hostile force to prevent escape of its members.
2. besieged – The casualty is a member of an organized element that has been surrounded by a hostile force for compelling it to surrender.
3. captured – The casualty has been seized as a result of action of an unfriendly military or paramilitary force in a foreign country.
4. detained – The casualty is prevented from proceeding or is restrained in custody for alleged violation of international law or other reason claimed by the government or group under which the person is being held.
5. interned – The casualty is definitely known to have been taken into custody of a nonbelligerent foreign power as a result of and for reasons arising out of any armed conflict in which the Armed Forces of the United States are engaged.
6. missing – The casualty is not present at his or her duty location due to apparent involuntary reasons and whose location is unknown.
7. missing in action – The casualty is a hostile casualty, other than the victim of a terrorist activity, who is not present at his or her duty location due to apparent involuntary reasons and whose location is unknown. Also called MIA.

 

MPA

Missing Persons Act

 

M&SP

Military and Special Programs (CIA)

- N -

NAF

National Alliance of Families

 

NARA

National Archives and Records Administration (Link to NARA Website)

 

No Further Pursuit

Those cases where we judge no actions by any government will result in the recovery of remains. In these cases, we have enough information to conclude the individual perished, but all the evidence indicates his or her remains are unrecoverable. For example, this category includes service members who perished at sea and those killed by explosions that destroyed their remains. (Please refer to the FAQ for additional details.)

 

NPRC

National Personnel Records Center - Located in St. Louis, MO. (Link to NPRC information Website)

 

NSTR

Nothing Significant to Report

- O -

Off the Scope

A term used to refer to aircraft losses in Southeast Asia where it occurred outside of radar coverage and the location is unknown. A team of DPMO analysts has been assigned to specifically research these difficult cases.

 

OHP

Oral History Program - US Officials conduct personal interviews with individuals in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia to expand the general knowledge of the handling and disposition of Prisoners of War/Missing Personnel.

 

OTS

One-Time Source

- P -

PA

Privacy Act or Public Affairs

 

PACOM

Pacific Command

 

PCIT

Priority Case Investigation Teams - JTF-FA teams created to specifically investigate the Vietnam Priority Discrepancy Cases. DoD does not link PCIT to planned JFAs, thus giving them great flexibility in tracking leads and interviewing witnesses. In 1995, RIT incorporated the PCIT, thus including a Stony Beach team member.

 

PCR

Polymerase Chain Reaction - discovered in 1985, has revolutionized the DNA typing methods used in forensic casework.

 

Personnel

Those individuals required in either a military or civilian capacity to accomplish the assigned mission.

 

Personnel Recovery

The aggregation of military, civil, and political efforts to recover captured, detained, evading, isolated or missing personnel from uncertain or hostile environments and denied areas.  Personnel recovery may occur through military action, action by non-governmental organizations, other US government (USG)-approved action, and diplomatic initiatives, or through any combination of these options.  Though personnel recovery may occur during non-combatant evacuation operations (NEO), NEO is not a subset of personnel recovery.  Also called PR.  (see also Combat Search and Rescue; Personnel; Recovery; Search and Rescue)

 

PMCOLD

Personnel Missing in the Cold War - A DPMO database containing basic information on personnel unaccounted-for from the Cold War. (Link to PMCOLD Database Reports)

 

PMKOR

Personnel Missing in Korea - A DPMO database containing basic information on personnel unaccounted-for from the Korean War. (Link to PMKOR Database Reports)

 

PMSEA

Personnel Missing in Southeast Asia - A DPMO database containing basic information on personnel unaccounted-for from the war in Southeast Asia (Vietnam War). (Link to PMSEA Database Reports)

 

POW

Prisoner of War

 

Prisoner of War

A detained person as defined in Articles 4 and 5 of the Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War of August 12, 1949.  In particular, one who, while engaged in combat under orders of his or her government, is captured by the armed forces of the enemy.  As such, he or she is entitled to the combatant’s privilege of immunity from the municipal law of the capturing state for warlike acts which do not amount to breaches of the law of armed conflict.  For example, a prisoner of war may be, but is not limited to, any person belonging to one of the following categories who has fallen into the power of the enemy: a member of the armed forces, organized militia or volunteer corps; a person who accompanies the armed forces without actually being a member thereof; a member of a merchant marine or civilian aircraft crew not qualifying for more favorable treatment; or individuals who, on the approach of the enemy, spontaneously take up arms to resist the invading forces. 

 

PRC

People’s Republic of China

- Q -

{No entries at this time}

- R -

Recovery

(as applies to Personnel Recovery) . . . In evasion and recovery operations, the return of evaders to friendly control, either with or without assistance, as a result of planning, operations, and individual actions on the part of recovery planners, conventional and unconventional recovery forces, and the evaders themselves.

 

Refno

Reference Number

 

RIT

Research and Investigation Team - A JTF-FA, Hanoi-based team that includes a Stony Beach team member. Focuses exclusively on Last Known Alive (LKA) discrepancy cases. The RIT travels extensively throughout Vietnam pursuing leads to specific cases, investigating general information, and, in some cases, conducting limited excavations of alleged loss locations. The RIT also investigates leads in Vietnam that may relate to cases in Laos and Cambodia.

 

RMC

Returned to Military Control

 

ROK

Republic of Korea (South Korea)

 

RVNAF

Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces

- S -

SAR

See Search and Rescue.

 

Search and Rescue

The use of aircraft, surface craft, submarines, specialized rescue teams, and equipment to search for and rescue personnel in distress on land or at sea. Also called SAR.

 

SP/AR

Special Projects/Archival Research

 

SRV

Socialist Republic of Vietnam - the communist state formed in 1975 by the forced takeover of South Vietnam by North Vietnam.

 

Stony Beach

A term used to describe a DIA team based in Bangkok, Thailand, responsible for conducting Live Sighting Investigations in Southeast Asia.

- T -

Tokyo Grid

Korea-Era Map Reference System

 

TFR

Task Force Russia

 

TPC

Tripartite Commission - Commission made up of representatives from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, France, the United Kingdom and the United States, headed by the ICRC seeking to account for individuals still missing as a result of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.

- U -

Unaccounted For

An inclusive term (not a casualty status) applicable to personnel whose person or remains are not recovered or otherwise accounted for following hostile action. Commonly used when referring to personnel who are killed in action and whose bodies are not recovered (see also accounting categories).

 

UNCMAC

United Nations Command Military Armistice Committee - Represents the 16 nations that joined the South Koreans in the Korean War, and continues to press for the \ repatriation of the remains of unaccounted-for servicemen.

 

USFK

US Forces, Korea

 

USRJC

US-Russia Joint Commission on POW/MIA's

- V -

VA

Veterans Administration (Now the Department of Veterans Affairs)

 

VNOSMP

Vietnam Office for Seeking Missing Persons

 

VFW

Veterans of Foreign Wars

 

VVA

Vietnam Veterans of America

- W -

{No entries at this time}

- X -

{No entries at this time}

- Y -

{No entries at this time}

- Z -

{No entries at this time}