The Mia Mystery: Unraveling Afghanistan's Missing Servicemen

Since the beginning of the war in Afghanistan in 2001, there have been several US soldiers who have been declared Missing in Action (MIA). The MIA classification is assigned to combatants, military chaplains, combat medics, and prisoners of war who go missing during wartime or ceasefire. The last captive American soldier from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan was Sgt. Bowe R. Bergdahl, who was freed in 2014 after being held by militants in northwestern Pakistan for five years.

In addition to Sgt. Bergdahl, there have been several other US soldiers who have been declared MIA in Afghanistan. For example, in 2003, six members of the Army's 507th Maintenance Co. were captured after being ambushed and separated from their convoy. Five captives were kept together and one, Pfc. Jessica Lynch, was held separately. In 2004, Army Staff Sgt. Keith Matthew Maupin was captured by insurgents after his convoy came under attack near Baghdad International Airport in Iraq.

The number of American POWs and MIAs has decreased in recent decades due to several factors, including improved technology, better training, and the nature of the adversary and geography. However, the few remaining cases can receive little attention at home, reducing public pressure on officials to secure their release.

Sgt. Bowe R. Bergdahl was held captive by militants in northwestern Pakistan for five years after being captured in Afghanistan in 2009

Bergdahl was a 23-year-old soldier in the US Army when he was captured by the Taliban after finishing a guard shift at a combat outpost in Paktika province, Afghanistan, on June 30, 2009. He was initially declared "missing/whereabouts unknown" and then "missing/captured". Bergdahl was held captive by the Taliban-aligned Haqqani network, an insurgent group affiliated with the Taliban, probably somewhere in Pakistan. He was the only remaining US soldier captured during the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Bergdahl was released on May 31, 2014, in exchange for five Taliban prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay. He was recovered by US special operations forces without incident at a "pick-up" point in eastern Afghanistan, near the border with Pakistan. Bergdahl was first transferred to Bagram Airfield, the main US base in Afghanistan, for a medical evaluation. He was then flown to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany for treatment before being sent to San Antonio, Texas, to complete his recovery and reintegration.

Bergdahl was tried by a general court-martial on charges of desertion and misbehaviour before the enemy. He pleaded guilty and, on November 3, 2017, was sentenced to be dishonourably discharged, reduced in rank to private, and fined $1,000 per month from his pay for ten months, with no prison time. In July 2023, a judge voided his 2017 court-martial conviction.

The US has historically had difficulty identifying the remains of MIA soldiers

Until around 1912, service personnel in most countries were not routinely issued with ID tags. As a result, if someone was killed in action and their body was not recovered until much later, there was often little to no chance of identifying the remains. Starting around World War I, nations began to issue their service personnel with identification tags, usually made of lightweight metal such as aluminium. However, the problem remained that bodies could be completely destroyed, burned, or buried by the type of high-explosive munitions used in modern warfare.

Additionally, the combat environment itself could increase the likelihood of missing combatants, such as in jungle warfare, submarine warfare, or aircraft crashes in remote mountainous terrain. There could also be administrative errors, with the location of a temporary battlefield grave being misidentified or forgotten. Since military forces had no strong incentive to keep detailed records of enemy dead, bodies were frequently buried in temporary graves, the locations of which were often lost or obliterated.

The development of genetic fingerprinting in the late 20th century means that if cell samples from a cheek swab are collected from service personnel before deployment, identity can be established using even a small fragment of human remains. However, many of these identifying procedures are not typically used for combatants who are members of militias, mercenary armies, insurrections, and other irregular forces.

In the case of the Vietnam War, about 80% of those missing were airmen who were shot down over North Vietnam or Laos, usually over remote mountains, tropical rainforests, or water. Investigations of these incidents have involved determining whether the men involved survived their shootdown and, if not, efforts to recover their remains.

In the case of the Korean War, advancing American forces buried their dead in temporary cemeteries, assuming they could go back and claim the bodies once the war was won. When victory in Korea did not materialize, access to these burial sites was lost as well.

Even in the 21st century, the remains of missing combatants are recovered from former battlefields every year, often during the course of agricultural work or construction projects.

MIA soldiers in Afghanistan are often held in Pakistan

Since 1991, there have been several US soldiers who have been declared MIA in Afghanistan. However, there is limited information on the specific number of MIA soldiers in Afghanistan. Here is some information on the topic:

Bowe Bergdahl was the last American soldier held captive in Afghanistan. He was freed in 2014 after being held by militants in northwestern Pakistan since 2009. Bergdahl was initially transferred to a base in Afghanistan for a medical evaluation before being reunited with his family.

In 2022, it was reported that there were six US soldiers listed as MIA from Iraq and other recent conflicts, including Afghanistan. This number is significantly lower than in previous conflicts, such as the Korean War, where almost 8,000 soldiers were listed as MIA.

The decrease in MIA soldiers can be attributed to various factors, including improved technology, better training, and the nature of the enemy and geography. Revolutionary new communications, information management, and surveillance technologies have allowed the US military to rapidly locate missing personnel.

The nature of combat has also changed, with most engagements being smaller in size, reducing the likelihood of soldiers being cut off from their units and surrendering. Additionally, the enemy has less ability to pound US forces with heavy artillery fire, which previously may have led to surrounded units surrendering.

The lower casualty rates in recent conflicts also play a factor, as lower casualties can reduce the likelihood of soldiers making mistakes or becoming demoralized and surrendering. The quality of troops has also improved, with better training and tougher and more resolute soldiers.

While the number of MIA soldiers in Afghanistan may be low compared to past conflicts, it is important to note that even a small number of MIA cases can receive less attention and reduce public pressure on officials to secure their release.

The US has had fewer MIA soldiers in recent decades due to new technologies, better training, and the nature of adversaries and geography

The US has seen a decline in the number of soldiers Missing in Action (MIA) in recent decades. MIA is a casualty classification assigned to combatants reported missing during wartime or ceasefire. They may have been killed, wounded, captured, executed, or deserted.

The reduction in MIA cases can be attributed to new technologies, better training, and the nature of adversaries and geography.

Technological advancements, such as revolutionary new communications, information management, and surveillance technologies, have played a significant role in reducing MIA cases. These technologies enable faster and more accurate locating and identification of missing personnel. For instance, the development of genetic fingerprinting allows for the identification of individuals using even small fragments of human remains.

Improved training of military personnel has also contributed to the decline in MIA cases. Today's troops are highly skilled and better equipped to handle various combat situations, reducing the likelihood of soldiers being isolated or captured.

Additionally, the nature of adversaries and geography in recent conflicts has been different from those in previous wars. Most engagements are smaller in scale, providing fewer opportunities for individuals to be cut off from their units and forced to surrender. The adversaries in recent conflicts also have less ability to exert overwhelming force on US forces, reducing the likelihood of units being surrounded and surrendering.

Furthermore, the nature of recent conflicts, such as those in Iraq and Afghanistan, has resulted in much lower casualty rates compared to past wars. This reduction in casualties decreases the likelihood of soldiers going missing or being captured.

The combination of these factors has led to a significant decline in MIA cases, altering the casualty profile of recent wars compared to those of the past.

The US government has withheld information about MIA soldiers in Afghanistan

The US government has been accused of withholding information about its MIA soldiers in Afghanistan. While the US Department of Defense reports that there are currently six unaccounted-for US personnel from "Iraq and other recent conflicts", including three Department of Defense contractors who went missing during the most recent conflict in Iraq, the true number of MIA soldiers in Afghanistan remains unclear.

The US military's casualty profile has changed significantly over the years, with far fewer Missing in Action (MIA) and Prisoner of War (POW) figures compared to previous conflicts. This has been attributed to various factors, including advancements in technology, better training, and the nature of the adversary and geography. However, the lack of transparency and inconsistent reporting by the Pentagon have raised concerns about the accuracy of the information provided to the public.

In recent years, the Pentagon has denied access to friendly body counts from Afghanistan, where Americans have been fighting for over 16 years. The Pentagon claims that the casualty data belongs to the Afghan government and must be classified as per their request. However, critics argue that Kabul is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the US Department of Defense, and the US military has the power to make this information public if desired.

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, John Sopko, has also reported that the Pentagon's Afghan command is withholding information about the performance of the Afghan military, including casualties, personnel strength, attrition, and operational readiness. This lack of transparency has been criticized by Senator Chuck Grassley, who stated that "there can't be accountability without transparency."

While the exact number of MIA soldiers in Afghanistan remains unknown, the US government's withholding of information has led to concerns about the true extent of casualties and the progress of the war effort.

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