Speakers urge families to submit DNA as DPAA identification rates rise

At a Sept. 18 remembrance event, an organizer outlined recent identification work by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) and urged families of missing service members to submit DNA samples to aid identifications.

The organizer said there are "84,603 total missing" as cited in the proclamation and gave conflict-by-conflict counts cited during the event: World War II (73,690), Korea (8,157), Vietnam (2,633), Cold War (128) and the Gulf War (6). The organizer also cited recent DPAA identifications in fiscal year 2026—173 identifications tied to World War II, 42 tied to Korea and 1 tied to Vietnam—and noted that identification totals have grown in recent years compared with earlier decades.

The speaker emphasized the practical need for family DNA: "If you are a member of a family that has an MIA, you can contact a casualty assistance officer from each of the branches... they'll supply you kit free of charge," the moderator said. Event leaders said DPAA has limited funds and prioritizes cases where DNA and contextual evidence make identification most likely, and they asked families to verify whether DNA is already on file or to submit new samples.