University of Hawaii Students Join Forces with Pentagon for War Dead Recovery Mission: A Unique Collaboration

In Honolulu, the University of Hawaii and the Defense Department have formed a five-year partnership to help find and identify missing U.S. service members from past wars. This agreement, signed by UH President Wendy Hensel and DPAA Director Kelly McKeague, aims to strengthen educational opportunities for students while supporting the mission to account for lost personnel.

As part of the collaboration, students will get to work in the high-tech forensic lab at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. They will also have access to DPAA’s scientific experts and resources, while the agency can tap into the university’s research facilities and academic programs.

“Today, we celebrate the start of a new partnership that will expand training and research opportunities for students,” Hensel mentioned at the signing event. She emphasized that the collaboration will benefit both education and the important work of the DPAA.

Currently, about 81,000 service members are unaccounted for from conflicts like World War II. McKeague noted over 37,000 of those are considered potentially recoverable. Federal law requires funding for the recovery of at least 200 missing personnel each year, but the agency has struggled to meet this target in recent years. Since October 1, they have successfully identified 208 individuals.

This partnership is part of a broader effort. Ten years ago, Congress allowed the Pentagon to create private partnerships for these missions. DPAA now has around 130 such partnerships. While the university and DPAA have collaborated informally before, this new agreement formalizes and expands their work significantly.

McKeague also highlighted the positive impact on both the DPAA and the university’s programs. The agreement opens access to university resources and provides opportunities for students and faculty to engage directly with DPAA’s scientists.

Past collaborations have already proven fruitful. For instance, efforts have helped to build the archaeological workforce in Cambodia. Two Cambodian students are currently studying anthropology at UH, aiming to return home and enhance the country’s archaeologic capacities.

In a time of budget cuts threatening university research funding, this agreement stands as a crucial example of how partnerships can foster education and contribute to important national missions.

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