Owen O'Leary

E-mail: o.oleary.1@research.gla.ac.uk

Degrees and Qualifications

Forensic Archaeologist, 2007-present, Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command Central Identification Laboratory

M.A., Anthropology, 2004, University of Hawaii Manoa, included a certificate in Evolution, Ecology, & Conservation Biology

B.A., (Honors) Anthropology, 2001, University of California Santa Cruz

Research Abstract

A Model for Recovery: Predicting the Location of Human Remains on WWII Bombardment and Cargo Aircraft Crash Sites

        The Joint Prisoner of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA) Accounting Command’s (JPAC) mission is to achieve the fullest possible accounting of all Americans missing as a result of the United States of America’s past conflicts.  Critical to this effort is the JPAC Central Identification Laboratory (CIL), which directs the field recovery operations, conducts the analysis of skeletal and dental remains as well as material evidence/artifacts.  Enacted in 2009, The National Defense Authorization Act for 2010 mandates that JPAC increase its annual total of identified individuals to 200 by the year 2015, a substantial increase from current numbers.  While the organization has done good work to date, it cannot meet this newly defined target by simply becoming a larger organization. 

       This required increase in identifications necessitates that JPAC, and more specifically the CIL, develop innovative strategies and methods for maximizing the recovery and identification potential of the cases they investigate.  The efficient excavation of large bombardment and cargo aircraft from WWII is one of the most effective means of reaching this goal because they are relatively easy to find and they were crewed by five to twelve individuals.  A detailed examination will be undertaken of cases previously completed by JPAC.  Working backwards through the identification process, it will be determined where the remains from each service member were recovered within the crash scene.  This will allow for the creation of predictive models that will be tested in the field on a new excavation. 

        Efficient excavation and recovery of remains will benefit the identification process in several critical ways.  Knowing where remains are most likely to be found within a crash scene will increase the rate of recovering remains during excavation, decrease the size of the area that has to be excavated, and reduce the number of trips that must be made to the same location, thus saving critical time, money, and other resources.  The ability to associate remains to specific sections of the airplane will reduce commingling, increase the strength of individualization, and increase the number of individual identifications.  The reduction of excavation time and commingling will also make great strides to increasing the rate of identifications.

Selected Peer-Reviewed Technical Reports (report numbers redacted)

2010    Interim Search and Recovery Report CIL ████-███, an AC-47D Aircraft Crash Site Associated with REFNO ████, Xepon District, Savannakhet Province, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, 15 January Through 10 February 2010.  Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command Central Identification Laboratory, Hickam AFB, Hawai‘i.
    Material Evidence Report: CIL ████-███-A-01 Through 35.  Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command Central Identification Laboratory, Hickam AFB, Hawai‘i.

2009    Final Search and Recovery Report CIL ████-███, an A-1E Aircraft Crash Site Associated with REFNO ████, Pek District, Xiangkhoang Province, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, 6 March Through 4 April 2009.  Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command Central Identification Laboratory, Hickam AFB, Hawai‘i.

2008    Final Search and Recovery Report CIL ████-███, an Aircraft Crash Site Associated with BuNo ████, Gazelle District, Eastern New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea, 5 Through 24 April 2008.  Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command Central Identification Laboratory, Hickam AFB, Hawai‘i.
    Material Evidence Report:  CIL ████-███-A-01 Through 77.  Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command Central Identification Laboratory, Hickam AFB, Hawai‘i.

2007    Search and Recovery Report CIL ████-███, an F-8E Crash Site Associated with REFNO ████, Phu Loc District, Thua Thien-Hue Province, Socialist Republic of Vietnam, 12 June Through 13 July 2007.  Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command Central Identification Laboratory, Hickam AFB, Hawai‘i.