Program and Event

Senior U.S. Defense Official Visits Laos

Ambassador Huso, DASD Ray, and the delegation learn about the excavation site from the team anthropoligist.

U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (DASD) for POW/Missing Personnel Affairs Ambassador Charles Ray visited Laos for the second time since being named to his position in early 2007. During the November 6-8^th visit, DASD Ray and U.S. Ambassador to Laos Ravic Huso attended meetings with Phonsavath Boupha, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, and  Major General Somphet Thipmala, Vice Minister of National Defense, to discuss  U.S.-Lao cooperation on accounting for those missing from the Indochina War during the past 25 years. DASD Ray, and Ambassador Huso also traveled to Boulapha District in Khammouan Province, where Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) Recovery Teams were hard at work conducting excavation operations in search of the remains of missing American personnel. Along with a delegation of U.S. and Lao officials, the group visited teams from the United States and Laos who were working together to recover the remains of U.S. servicemen missing in action since 1967. During the field visit, the delegation received a tour of recovery and base camp operations from JPAC and also met with local Lao officials.