By Army Staff Sgt. Matthew Chlosta 

HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, HAWAII - Members of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command's Intelligence Directorate met with Federal Bureau of Investigation personnel from Quantico, Va., on May 30 at the Aloha Center to share methods and tips on case file management. The "think tank" was designed to share information between the two government agencies and discuss processes, methods and techniques in case and data management.

The JPAC Intelligence Directorate manages approximately 2,600 case files for the Vietnam War, about 8,100 for the Korean War and about 3,000 for WWII and a handful of others.

The JPAC Intelligence Directorate contains researchers, analysts and historians. The department also sends out investigation teams to locate potential JPAC recovery sites through research and field operations.

The discussions during the "think tank" compared how the FBI and JPAC manage unresolved and resolved cases, and their corresponding files. The wide ranging talk also covered questioning of witnesses, which both the FBI and JPAC have to do - just in different types of scenarios and environments.

"[The] Deputy Commanding Officer requested that we take a look at JPAC's investigative process," said Bob Richeson, director, JPAC Intelligence Directorate. The meeting of the minds was held to compare our investigation processes to those used by the FBI, Richeson added. "There are some parallels in the way they conduct their investigations," Richeson said.

"It's the first time we've had another government agency come in and talk to JPAC," Richeson said. "It's a chance to improve what we do." "It will help improve both our investigation techniques and our case management," Richeson added. "They were very helpful in areas of case prioritization, evaluating witness credibility and case documentation."

"[We've had] a good exchange of information, as far as their ideas, their methods and operating procedures," said FBI Special Agent Mary Ann Krauss, supervisor, Violent Criminal Apprehension Program, during a short mid-morning break.

Ultimately, both the FBI and JPAC work to resolve their cases to try to give the families involved in the cases a sense of closure. "That's who you're working for," Krauss said, during her discussion of the way the FBI investigates and analyzes case data. "You're working for the families. You're working for the truth. [Sometimes] we get bogged down in the analysis -- and lose sight of what we're doing."

"I really admire you guys for reaching out to us," Krauss said. "My great uncle was a pilot in WWII. On behalf of him, thank you for everything you do. We appreciate you all. Some of what you've shared was very helpful for us to take back. We'll come back in a minute's notice."