Accounting:
There are three criteria used to account for missing personnel:

1. The return of a live American.
2. The return of identifiable remains.
3. Provide convincing evidence why the first two criteria are not possible.

AFDIL:
Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory in Rockville, Maryland supports the CILHI in mtDNA analysis.

AFIRB:
The Armed Forces Identification Review Board is a three-person board convened to scrutinize CILHI identifications. It consists of one member from the Army, Navy (or Marine Corps), and Air Force. This board is the final approval authority for an identification recommendation.

ART:
Archival Research Team consists of members of the JTF-FA who conduct searches of Vietnamese, Cambodian and Lao archives.

CAPMI:
Computer Assisted Post Mortem Identification is a CILHI computerized list of ante-mortem dental records of all American servicemen unaccounted for from the war in Southeast Asia. By cross-referencing this data with the remains dental information, CAPMI generates a list of likely candidates.

CDO:
Central Documentation Office is tasked with declassification of DoD documents relating to Southeast Asia Prisoner of Was/Missing Personnel. In 1993, the CDO and its mission were incorporated into the DPMO.

CILHI:
Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii is located at Hickam AFB in Hawaii, this United States Army organization is responsible for conducting search and recovery operations worldwide for unaccounted-for American servicemen from World War II, the Korean War, the Cold War and the Vietnam War. CILHI also performs all forensic identifications of remains.

CINCPAC:
Commander-In-Chief Pacific is located at Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii; the CINCPAC is the operational commander of all military forces in the Pacific region. JTF-FA is under the control of CINCPAC.

DNA:
Deoxyribonucleic Acid is the molecular material foundin cells containing the genetic "blueprints" of life. There are two kinds of DNA in cells, Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) found in the mitochandria and chromosomal DNA found in the nucleus.

DPMO:
Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office was established in 1993 and is located in Crystal City, VA.

DSB:
Defense Science Board consists of a group of individuals outside of DoD, recognized as experts in a particular field, asked to address scientific or technological issues faced by the DoD.

JCRC:
Joint Casualty Resolution Center was formed in January 1973 to resolve the fates of the unaccounted-for American servicemen from the war in Southeast Asia. The JCRC was replaced by the JTF-FA in 1992.

JCS:
Joint Chiefs of Staff is a collective body of chiefs of the four military services headed by a chairman who serves to advise the President, National Security Council, and the Secretary of Defense. The Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff is the principal military advisor to the President.

JCSD:
Joint Commission Support Directorate is the directorate within the DPMO responsible for assisting the USRJC.

JFA:
Joint Field Activity is a planned field operation staffed by two or more U.S. military services. These operations may include other nation's services and include such activities as the investigation and serveys of suspected grave or crash sites, subsequent excavation of the grave or crashsite and the interviewing of witnesses.

JTF-FA:
Joint Task Force-Full Accounting is located at Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii, with detachments in Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, the JTF-FA is the successor of the JCRC and is the DoD agency responsible for conducting field operations to account for Americans from the war in Southeast Asia.

KPA:
Korean People's Army of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea).

LKA:
Last Known Alive are cases in which the United States has information that the individual survived the loss incident and fell into enemy hands. In the case of the air incidents, this includes cases in which the crewmembers are believed to have successfully exited their aircraft and to have been alive on the ground. In the case of ground incidents, this includes cases in which the individuals were last known alive, were not gravely wounded, and were in proximity to enemy forces.

LPDR:
Lao Peoples' Democratic Republic

LSEL:
Life Science Equipment Laboratory is located at Kelly AFB in Santonio, Texas.

LSI:
Live Sighting Investigation is an investigation conducted by members of Stony Beach, assisted by JTF-FA, based on reports of eyewitness accounts of live American POWs in Southeast Asia.

Off the Scope:
A term used to refer to aircraft losses in Southeast Asia, primarily in Laos, where the aircraft loss occurred outside of radar coverage and the location is unknown. A team of DPMO analysts has been assigned to specifically research these difficult cases.

OHP:
Oral History Program is a program to interview individuals in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia to expand the general knowledge of the handling and disposition of Prisoners of War/Missing Personnel.

PCIT:
Priority Case Investigation Teams are JTF-FA teams created to specifically investigate the Vietnam Priority Discrepancy Cases. The PCIT was not linked to planned JFAs giving them great flexibility in tracking leads and interviewing witness. In 1995, the PCIT was integrated into the RIT.

PCR:
The Polymerase Chain Reaction was discovered in 1985 and has revolutionized the DNA typing methods used in forensic casework. PCR is like a biological photocopy machine. The DNA (genetic code) in each cell is 3 billion letters long. MtDNA analysis looks at approximately 600 of these letters. However, the number of copies of the 600 letter-long "sequence" is too low to analyze when extracted from the skeletal remains. Therefore, the sequence of letter is replicated, or "photocopied." The original 600-letter sequence is placed in the photocopy machine making two copies total. The two copies are then placed back in the photocopy machine and now four copies are available. After 38 rounds of replication or "photocopying," there will be more than 1 million copies of the 600-letter sequence available for analysis.

PMKOR:
Personnel Missing in Korea is a DPMO database containing basic information on personnel unaccounted-for from the Korean War.

PRC:
Peoples Republic of China

PMSEA:
Personnel Missing in Southeast Asia is a DPMO database containing basic information on personnel unaccounted-for from the war in Southeast Asia.

RIT:
Research and Investigation Team is a JTF-FA Hanoi-based team that focuses on four areas:

1. Priority Discrepancy Cases
2. Special Remains Cases
3. Archival Research
4. Oral History Interviews.

The RIT travels extensively throughout Vietnam pursuing leads to specific cases, investigating general information, and, in some cases, conducting limited excavations of alleged loss locations.

SAR:
Search and Rescue is a generic term for forces (aircraft, ships, and supporting troops) that attempt to locate and rescue downed aircrews.

SRV:
Socialist Republic of Vietnam is the communist state formed in 1975 by the forced takeover of South Vietnam by North Vietnam.

Stony Beach:
A Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) team based in Bangkok, Thailand, responsible for conducting Live Sighting Investigations in Southeast Asia.

UNCMAC:
United Nations Command Military Armistice Committee represents the 16 nations that joined the South Koreans in the Korean War, and continues to press for the repatriation of the remains of unaccounted-for Untied Nation servicemen.

USRJC:
United States-Russia Joint Commission on Prisoners of War/Missing In Action