Operation 85 and DPAA Formalize Partnership

This summer marked an important milestone for Operation 85 and the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), as our longstanding working relationship was formally established through a signed Memorandum of Understanding.

For more than three years, Operation 85 has worked closely with DPAA, the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL), and the military Service Casualty Offices to support U.S.S. Arizona families, expand family outreach, conduct genealogical research, and help eligible relatives participate in the DNA Family Reference Sample program.

The new Memorandum of Understanding does not begin that cooperation. It formalizes and strengthens a relationship that has already been built through years of collaboration, communication, and shared commitment to the accounting mission.

Under the agreement, Operation 85 and DPAA now have a clearer framework for continuing their work with U.S.S. Arizona families while also exploring additional ways Operation 85’s research, genealogy, technology, and family-engagement capabilities may support the broader effort to account for missing U.S. service members.

For Operation 85, the agreement represents an important step forward in the organization’s evolution from a family-led initiative focused on the U.S.S. Arizona to a formal partner supporting the wider POW/MIA accounting mission.

The partnership also reinforces a principle that has guided Operation 85 from the beginning: meaningful progress happens when families, government agencies, scientists, genealogists, researchers, and advocates work together toward a common goal.

Operation 85 remains committed to supporting U.S.S. Arizona families, strengthening participation in the Family Reference Sample program, and working alongside DPAA and other government partners to help ensure that America’s missing service members are never forgotten.

Unknown No More.