Missing in Action (MIA)

MIA is the abbreviation for missing in action and is used to describe a member of the armed forces who has been reported missing after combat operations. The service member may be injured, captured, or even dead, but his or her status is unknown. The term MIA was originally coined in the United States, and it is still used primarily by Americans. However, this abbreviation was not used until 1946 (just after the end of WWII). Those designated as MIAs must not have been accounted for in any way, that is, they must not be reported as killed in action (KIA) or captured as a prisoner of war (POW).

In many ways, the status of MIA, because of its ambiguity, is known to be more devastating to family members and friends than KIA. At least when people are confirmed dead in combat operations, there is a sense of closure that does not exist for those left to wonder about the fate of their loved ones.

Incidence

Although the term MIA did not come into existence until 1946, the U.S. Armed Forces have always had members with MIA status in all armed conflicts. For example, it is estimated that American MIAs from the Revolutionary War numbered about 1,426; from the War of 1812 about 695; from WWI some 4,452; from WWII 78,773; from the Korean War approximately 8,100; and from the Vietnam War 1,763. In the Iraq War, or Global War on Terror (GWOT), two members of the United States military are MIA. In the GWOT, there are also American civilian MIAs based on their work on behalf of civilian nonprofit groups, civilian contractors, and reporters working with the military in Iraq and Afghanistan. The reduced number of MIAs in America's more recent conflicts (Vietnam and the GWOT) is due to better evacuation of troops immediately following combat operations. Thus, fewer personnel were ever left behind after a battle and even the seriously wounded can be carried off with their comrades. Although there were relatively few MIAs in Vietnam, the term MIA became most prominent after this war in Southeast Asia.

The Politics of MIA

The term MIA began to take on a political meaning after the Vietnam War. The war had been politicized in the late 1960s and into 1970 to 1972. In the United States, people became more polarized over the issue of Vietnam and eventually, the majority of Americans wanted the U.S. military out of this conflict.

When the Paris Peace Accords were signed between the United States and North Vietnam in 1972, the North Vietnamese stated that they still held 591 POWs, many of whom had been listed as MIAs. Within a few months, all 591 were repatriated to the United States. Yet, many Americans believe that many more MIAs were held by North Vietnam in hopes of negotiating for financial settlements from the United States. It is also believed by many that the remains of other MIAs were also held back by the Vietnamese government again in hopes of ransom. There are those who believe that through the 1970s, 1980s, and even into the 2000s, some former American MIAs were and are still alive in Vietnam.

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