Vietnamese Company Supports Efforts to Identify MIAs

Vietnamese Company Supports Efforts to Identify MIAs
Navy NewsStand ^ | 10/17/2002 | Lt. Leslie Hull-Ryde, Commander, Logistics Group, Western Pacific Public Affairs

Posted on 03/27/2004 8:04:57 PM PST by BykrBayb

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Story Number: NNS021016-01 Release Date: 10/17/2002

By Lt. Leslie Hull-Ryde, Commander, Logistics Group, Western Pacific Public Affairs

SINGAPORE (NNS) -- For years, the United States has worked closely with Vietnam to account for all armed forces personnel missing in action as a result of the Vietnam War.

Joint Task Force-Full Accounting, Detachment 2, based in Hanoi, leads the search efforts for thousands of MIAs.

The Naval Regional Contracting Center did its part recently to help bring closure to many American families still grieving over their losses.

Representatives from NRCC exercised a contract's option period, extending the helicopter services provided by the Northern Service Flight Company of Vietnam for another year. NSFC is partially owned and controlled by the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

"In this signing ceremony, we hope the cooperation between NRCC and NSFC will be close and will develop in order to contribute to the humanity program in which both the governments and people of Vietnam and the United States are interested," said Capt. Doan Duc Dau, director of NSFC, during the signing ceremony at the Hilton Singapore.

Last year, NRCC Singapore awarded NSFC a three-year contract to provide helicopter support services and associated charter services to JTF-FA in Vietnam. The three-year performance period includes one base year and two one-year option periods. Total contract value for the three years represents almost $10 million U.S.

"Throughout the past 10 years, NSFC has done an outstanding job of providing the helicopter support service and assisting the U.S. government's MIA mission," said Capt. Richard Gonzalez, commanding officer, NRCC, Singapore.

The NSFC current contract is the fourth in a series, which dates back to 1992.

The Department of Defense established the JTF-FA program then in order to achieve the "fullest possible accounting" of all American prisoners of war and those missing in action from the Vietnam War.

"The United States is committed to locating all unaccounted for armed forces personnel regardless of the conflict or timeframe. Every credible lead, no matter how small, is pursued to the fullest extent," said one member of the Full Accounting team.

The JTF-FA program mission entails conducting field operations throughout Vietnam in order to locate remains of U.S. Armed forces personnel.

The American military personnel work closely with the NSFC pilots.

"In the spirit to provide the best conditions for the MIA program, we have provided the best equipment we have for these operations," said Doan. "With this option, we have equipped two brand new and most modern modifications of the MI-172.

"With more power and safety features, it is able to operate on the highest mountain and in the jungle and in remote areas where the MIA operations take place."

JTF-FA investigative teams continue to survey sites throughout the globe and conduct operations to recover remains in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, North Korea, China, Armenia, The Netherlands, New Guinea, New Caledonia, Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, Burma, The Kuril Islands and Tibet.

"NRCC Singapore continues to play a significant role in providing the contractual services required to support JTF-FA in Vietnam and other countries in Southeast Asia. The teamwork between JTF-FA and NRCC Singapore represents a critical element in the success of the highly sensitive and publicized JTF-FA mission," said Gonzalez.

For related news, visit the Commander, Logistics Group, Western Pacific Navy NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/clwp.