The Defense Department announced March 16 that the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command has identified the remains of Maj. Curtis Daniel Miller of Palacios, Tex., who was part of a 14-member crew aboard an AC-130A Spectre shot down on March 29, 1972. According to the release, JPAC has now accounted for all 14 crewmembers. An enemy surface-to-air missile struck the aircraft, which had taken off from Ubon Royal Thai AFB, Thailand, for an armed reconnaissance mission over southern Laos. Heavy enemy activity in the area prevented more than a few days of search and rescue efforts. In 1986 a recovery team excavated the crash site, finding remains that led to identification of nine men. In 2005 to 2006, another team conducted further excavations, finding more remains and enabling identification of the other crewmembers.
Members of the House Armed Services Committee say the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile program has been set back three months due to the ongoing government shutdown. The comment is noteworthy because the JATM's status has been kept tightly under wraps.
