Forensic Anthropologist

The mission of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) is to provide the fullest possible accounting for our missing personnel from our Nation's past conflicts to their families and our Nation. DPAA personnel research, investigate, recover and identify remains of DoD personnel unaccounted for from World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, and the Iraq conflicts and Persian Gulf War.

Incumbent typical work assignments may include the following: Serves as a forensic anthropologist providing professional, scientific leadership to a team engaged in forensic and biological anthropological studies and investigations leading to establish the medico-legal identity of skeletal remains Plans and directs investigations and archaeological excavations designed to achieve casualty resolution Performs professional anthropological laboratory examinations to current laboratory standards and in keeping with published best practices Process and analyze skeletal remains or portions of remains to determine ancestry, age, sex, stature, trauma, surgical intervention, and other physical characteristics and anomalies in support of forensic identification Serves as a professional Scientific Recovery Expert providing professional and scientific leadership to DPAA and OSW organizations Provides expert advice and scientific guidance to DPAA teams engaged in all the phases of archaeological testing and excavation (Phase I, II and III) of military aircraft crash sites, ground losses, and burial Provides quality control services and control reviews to DPAA of identification determinations completed by laboratory teams