MIA Missions

Since 1993, Project Recover has been executing missions to search for America’s missing-in-action service members. Read more about our origin story and timeline, here.

Project Recover has developed and scaled a proven model for successfully executing this solemn mission that includes pre-mission research, search missions, site documentation, MIA recovery missions, and repatriation. These missions are conducted in both the underwater environment and on land. With the help of its trusted partners, Project Recover utilizes advanced technology and advanced diving protocols during all aspects of its mission. The process from research to repatriation can often take decades to complete. This is based on the complexity and the sheer volume of missions.

Our organization has executed over 100 missions in more than 24 countries, locating more than 70 MIA sites associated with more than 250 MIAs.

Project Recover Global Mission Map

Learn about
our missions

University of Delaware Earth, Ocean and Environment logo

Chuuk underwater search mission (UDEL)

December 2024

Mission Type

Search/Documentation/EXU

Team Leader

Mark Moline/Colin Colburn

Lead Archaeologist

N/A

Partners

UDEL

Site

Chuuk Lagoon

Conflict

WWII

Initial Mission and Location

N/A
In December 2024, a University of Delaware/Project Recover team conducted an underwater search mission in Truk Lagoon.
Texas State Body Farm

Body Farm Research (TX)(PR)

November 2024

Mission Type

Research

Team Leaders

Pat Scannon

Lead Archaeologist

N/A

Partners

University of Georgia

Site

N/A

Conflict

N/A

Initial Mission and Location

N/A
Intro blurb copy goes here.
Germany Reconnaissance Mission

Germany Reconnaissance mission (PR)

October 2024

Mission Type

Reconnaissance/Research

Team Leader

Pat Scannon

Lead Archaeologist

N/A

Partners

PR Only

Site

N/A

Conflict

Rugen, Germany

Initial Mission and Location

N/A
Intro blurb copy goes here.
Skyward Bound Education Program

Skyward Bound Education Program (PR)

September 2024

Mission Type

Education

Team Leaders

Derek Abbey

Lead Archaeologist

N/A

Partners

Travis Manion Foundation/Planes of Fame Museum/Air Force Heritage Flight/PR

Site

Santa Maria, CA

Conflict

N/A

Initial Mission and Location

N/A
On September 18th, 2024, Project Recover conducted the second Skyward Bound education program in collaboration with Planes of Fame Air Museum, Air Force Heritage Flight, The USAF A-10 Demo Team, and our new partner, Travis Manion Foundation.
Italy Search and Documentation

Italy search and documentation (PR)

September 2024

Mission Type

Research/Search/Documentation

Team Leaders

Michelle Hagstrom/Dave Bavencoff

Lead Archaeologist

Michelle Hagstrom

Partners

Battlefield Archaeology Group/PR

Site

San Pietro

Conflict

WWII

Initial Mission and Location

N/A
Project Recover Team Member, Archaeologist, and US Army Operations Officer, Michelle Hagstrom connected us with Battlefield Archaeology Group (BAG) after realizing that the two organizations shared common ground in their missions.
University of Delaware Earth, Ocean and Environment logo

Corsica underwater search and documentation

September 2024

Mission Type

Search and Documentation

Team Leaders

Mark Moline/Matthew Breece

Lead Archaeologist

N/A

Partners

UDEL/Divers with a Purpose

Site

N/A

Conflict

N/A

Initial Mission and Location

N/A
Intro blurb copy goes here.
Palau Underwater Recovery

Palau underwater recovery (PR/DPAA)

August-September 2024

Mission Type

Underwater Recovery

Team Leaders

Blake Boteler/Adam Gray

Lead Archaeologist

Svenja Weise

Partners

DPAA/LUS/PR

Site

Ocean/USN Avenger

Conflict

WWII

Initial Mission and Location

Initial mission (2005), Initial location (2014)
With funding from DPAA, we were able to contract with our partners, Legion Undersea Services, who are experts around underwater salvage diving and also happen to largely be made up of Navy divers...
Palau Land Documentation

Palau land documentation (PR/DPAA)

August-September 2024

Mission Type

Search/documentation

Team Leaders

Derek Abbey/Hanna Friedlander

Lead Archaeologist

Jolie Liston, Ph.D.

Partners

DPAA/PR

Site

Palau mangrove jungle

Conflict

WWII

Initial Mission and Location

2007
A five-week mission to document a previously located debris site of a WWII era Corsair loss associated with a missing-in-action USMC pilot.
Vietnam Underwater Search Mission

Vietnam underwater search mission

July 2024

Mission Type

Search/Documentation

Team Leaders

Eric Terrill/Andrew Pietruszka

Lead Archaeologist

Andrew Pietruszka

Partners

DPAA/SIO

Site

N/A

Conflict

Vietnam/SEA

Initial Mission and Location

N/A
Intro text copy goes here.
Chuuk Land Recovery

Chuuk land recovery (PR)

June 2024

Mission Type

Archaeological Excavation

Team Leaders

Pat Scannon/Jolie Liston

Lead Archaeologist

Jolie Liston

Partners

PR, UDel

Site

Onei Island, Chuuk

Conflict

WWII

Initial Mission and Location

N/A
In 2021, a Facebook post led PR Lead Historian Colin Colbourn to interview a Chuukese family living in Arizona.
Chuuk Underwater Search Mission

Chuuk underwater search mission (UDEL/DPAA)

June 2024

Mission Type

Search/Documentation

Team Leaders

Mark Moline/Colin Colbourn/Matthew Breece

Lead Archaeologist

Dan Davis

Partners

DPAA/UDEL

Site

Chuuk Lagoon

Conflict

WWII

Initial Mission and Location

N/A
In June 2024, the Project Recover and University of Delaware launched one of its largest and longest missions to Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia.
Washington State Land Survey

Washington State land survey (PR)

May 2024

Mission Type

Research/Search

Team Leaders

Derek Abbey

Lead Archaeologist

N/A

Partners

PR only

Site

Washington state

Conflict

WWII training loss

Initial Mission and Location

N/A
Four person site-survey and land search in the forest of Washington state.
Sweden Underwater Recovery Mission

Sweden underwater recovery mission

April 2024

Mission Type

Search/Documentation

Team Leaders

Eric Terrill/Andrew Pietruszka

Lead Archaeologist

Andrew Pietruszka

Partners

DPAA/SIO

Site

N/A

Conflict

WWII

Initial mission and location

N/A
Intro copy goes here.
Africa Search Mission

Africa search mission (UDEL/EU)

January 2024

Mission Type

Search/Documentation

Team Leaders

Colin Colbourn/Mark Moline

Lead Archaeologist

Andrew Pietruszka

Partners

UDEL/Expedition Unknown

Site

San Pedro, Côte d'Ivoire

Conflict

WWII

Initial mission and location

2024
In January 2024, Project Recover and the University of Delaware conducted an underwater search mission off the coast of San Pedro, Côte d'Ivoire.
DPAA Chuuk Research Project

DPAA Chuuk research project (PR/DPAA)

2024 (Year-round)

Mission Type

Research/Case Narratives

lead researcher

Colin Colbourn

Lead Archaeologist

N/A

Partners

DPAA/PR

Site

N/A

Conflict

WWII

Initial mission and location

N/A
In March and April, Project Recover sent a team of ten to conduct an in-depth documentation of a MIA associated Marine Corps Corsair crash site in dense mangrove jungle.
University of Delaware Earth, Ocean and Environment logo

Corsica Search Mission

September 2023

Mission Type

Underwater Search

Team Leaders

N/A

Lead Archaeologist

N/A

Partners

DPAA/UDel

Site

N/A

Conflict

WWII

Initial Mission and Location

N/A
Intro blurb copy goes here.
Palau Mangrove Documentation Mission

Skyward Bound Education Program (PR)

September 2023

Mission Type

Education

Team Leaders

Derek Abbey

Lead Archaeologist

N/A

Partners

Planes of Fame Museum/Air Force Heritage Flight/PR

Site

Santa Maria, CA

Conflict

N/A

Initial Mission and Location

N/A
On October 10th, 2023, Project Recover conducted the first Skyward Bound education program in collaboration with Planes of Fame Air Museum, Air Force Heritage Flight, and the USAF A-22 Demo Team.
Kwajalein underwater recovery

Kwajalein Underwater Recovery Mission

August-September 2023

MISSION TYPE

Underwater Recovery

Team Leaders

N/A

Lead Archaeologist

Svenja Weise

Partners

DPAA/LUS

Site

Ocean/PB2Y-3 Coronado

Conflict

WWII

Initial Mission and Location

2007
Intro blurb copy goes here.
Palau Underwater Recovery

Palau Underwater Recovery Mission

July 2023

Mission Type

Underwater Recovery

Team Leaders

Blake Boelter and Derek Abbey, Ph.D.

Lead Archaeologist

Svenja Weiss, Ph.D.

Partners

DPAA and Legion Undersea Services

Site

Ocean/USN Avenger

Conflict

WWII

Initial Mission and Location

2015
In July, Project Recover deployed a team of 17 personnel to continue the efforts to recover the last Sailor still missing from this Navy Avenger resting at a depth of approximately 120 feet.
Scripps Institution of Oceanography logo

Vietnam Search Mission #2

June-July 2023

Mission Type

Underwater Search

Team Leaders

Eric Terrill

Lead Archaeologist

N/A

Partners

DPAA/SIO

Site

N/A

Conflict

Vietnam

Initial Mission and Location

N/A
Intro blurb copy goes here.
Scripps Institution of Oceanography logo

Vietnam Search Mission #1

June-July 2023

Mission Type

Underwater Search

Team Leaders

Eric Terrill

Lead Archaeologist

N/A

Partners

DPAA/SIO

Site

N/A

Conflict

Vietnam

Initial Mission and Location

N/A
Intro blurb copy goes here.
University of Delaware Earth, Ocean and Environment logo

Chuuk Search Mission

June-July 2023

Mission Type

Underwater Search

Team Leaders

Mark Moline/Colin Colbourn

Lead Archaeologist

N/A

Partners

DPAA/UDel

Site

Chuuk

Conflict

WWII

Initial Mission and Location

N/A
Intro blurb copy goes here.
Remembrance plaque

Chuuk Search Mission

April 2023

Mission Type

Underwater and Land Search

Team Leaders

Mark Moline/Colin Colbourn

Lead Archaeologist

N/A

Partners

UDel/Expedition Unknown

Site

Chuuk

Conflict

WWII

Initial Mission and Location

N/A
Intro blurb copy goes here.
Palau Mangrove Documentation Mission

Palau Mangrove Documentation Mission

March-April 2023

Mission Type

Search/Documentation

Team Leaders

Derek Abbey, Ph.D. and Dave Bavencoff

Lead Archaeologist

Jolie Liston, Ph.D.

Partners

DPAA

Site

Mangrove jungle/USMC Corsair

Conflict

WWII

Initial Mission and Location

2007
In March and April, Project Recover sent a team of ten to conduct an in-depth documentation of a MIA associated Marine Corps Corsair crash site in dense mangrove jungle.
University of Delaware Earth, Ocean and Environment logo

Chuuk Research Mission

2023 (Year-round)

Mission Type

Research/Case Narratives

LEAD RESEARCHER

Colin Colbourn

Lead Archaeologist

N/A

Partners

DPAA/UDel

Site

Chuuk

Conflict

WWII

Initial Mission and Location

N/A
Intro blurb copy goes here.
Palau Mangrove Documentation Mission

Mission Title Here

Enter Date Here

Mission Type

Placeholder

Team Leaders

Placeholder

Lead Archaeologist

Placeholder

Partners

Placeholder

Site

Placeholder

Conflict

Placeholder

Initial Mission and Location

Placeholder
Intro blurb copy goes here.

BentProp Historical
Research Site

This site holds our history from 1999 to 2016. Here you will find all our missions, updates, and final reports. There is a treasure trove of info, so take your time.