Offutt named preferred location for new forensics lab Published May 16, 2012 OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb -- Air Force officials announced recently that Offutt Air Force Base is the preferred alternative for a new Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, or JPAC, Satellite Central Identification Lab. The JPAC, headquartered on the island of Oahu in Hawaii, conducts global search, recovery and lab operations to identify unaccounted for American POW and MIAs from past conflicts. "The 55th Wing is proud to welcome the JPAC as a new member of Team Offutt," said Brig. Gen. Don Bacon, 55th Wing commander. "Their mission is of the utmost importance to our nation and the families of those missing service members and we look forward to helping them bring home and identifying these fallen warriors in any way that we can." This new satellite lab at Offutt will help JPAC meet a congressional mandate to achieve identification on 200 remains per year beginning in 2015. "On behalf of the city of Bellevue, we are pleased to welcome the JPAC mission to the Bellevue-Offutt community," said Bellevue Mayor Rita Sanders. "We look forward to showing them that our Midwestern helping hand is here to assist with and we know they'll enjoy our top notch quality of life brand of paradise." Plans are for the satellite lab to be housed in Building D, also known as the Martin Bomber Building, where the Air Force Weather Agency was previously headquartered. They will occupy approximately 40,000 square feet for lab and analysis work, evidence and record storage and admin space. Falling directly under the U.S. Pacific Command, the JPAC is a jointly-manned organization of more than 400 military and civilian specialists. Currently the JPAC currently has four detachments: Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and Hawaii; and a Central Identification Lab in Honolulu that is staffed by 30 forensic scientists. For more information on the JPAC, visit their website (http://www.jpac.pacom.mil/)