New DPAA Chief Pledges to Restore Cuts to Vietnam War MIA Searches
Former Army Brig. Gen. Anthony Tata assumed oversight of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) on June 25, 2026, pledging to investigate and restore $40 million in budget cuts that halted MIA searches in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. The cuts, partly due to fuel shortages from the Iran war, reduced recovery teams significantly. DPAA’s budget fell from $185M (FY2025) to $167M (FY2026), with a projected cap of $160M (FY2027). Tata also committed to pushing for declassification of military records and supporting the bipartisan ‘Bring Home Our Heroes Act.’
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Tata Takes Over DPAA, Pledges to Restore MIA Search Funding as Families Protest Cuts
Former Army Brig. Gen. Anthony Tata has assumed oversight of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, promising to investigate budget cuts that halted MIA searches in Vietnam and Laos. At the annual DPAA briefings for families of missing Vietnam War service members, Tata faced initial skepticism but pledged to work for restoration of $40 million in cuts proposed in the Senate's Fisher bill, attached to the NDAA. Fuel shortages from the Iran war and budget reductions have forced DPAA to cancel four recovery teams in Laos and significantly reduce operations in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. DPAA Director Kelly McKeague noted the budget fell from $185M in FY2025 to $167M in FY2026, with a projected cap of $160M in FY2027. Tata also committed to pushing for declassification of military records, with the bipartisan 'Bring Home Our Heroes Act' introduced to overcome bureaucratic hurdles. He claimed the full support of President Trump and Defense Secretary Hegseth.
Marine Corps TimesAnthony Tata Takes Over POW/MIA Accounting Agency Amid Budget Cuts and Search Cancellations
Former Army Brig. Gen. Anthony Tata, now undersecretary of defense for Personnel and Readiness, has assumed oversight of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA). During annual briefings for families of missing Vietnam War service members on June 25, he faced skepticism over budget cuts that have led to canceled MIA searches in Vietnam and Laos. Tata pledged to work for restoration of about $40 million in DPAA cuts proposed in a bill by Sen. Deb Fischer, attached to the NDAA. Budget cuts and fuel shortages due to the war in Iran forced DPAA to cancel four recovery teams in Laos. Funding dropped from $185 million in FY2025 to $167 million in FY2026, with a projected cap of $160 million in FY2027, reducing recovery teams in Vietnam from 27 to 7, in Laos from 13 to 5, and in Cambodia from 3 to 1. Tata also committed to pushing for declassification of records. DPAA Director Kelly McKeague called the needed funding "chump change" relative to the defense budget.
Air Force TimesAnthony Tata Takes Over DPAA, Pledges to Restore MIA Search Funding
Former Army Brig. Gen. Anthony Tata, now undersecretary of defense for Personnel and Readiness, has assumed oversight of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA). During annual briefings on June 25, Tata faced skeptical families of Vietnam War missing service members angered by budget cuts that canceled MIA searches in Vietnam and Laos. Tata pledged to work with Congress to restore approximately $40 million in cuts proposed in a bill by Sen. Deb Fischer, attached to the National Defense Authorization Act. The DPAA budget dropped from $185 million in FY2025 to $167 million in FY2026, forcing cuts in recovery teams: from 27 to 7 in Vietnam, 13 to 5 in Laos, and 3 to 1 in Cambodia. DPAA Director Kelly McKeague described the needed funding as 'chump change' compared to the $1 trillion defense budget. Tata also committed to pressing for declassification of records relevant to missing personnel. The 'Bring Home Our Heroes Act' seeks to establish an independent records review board.
Navy TimesAnthony Tata takes oversight of POW/MIA agency, pledges to address budget cuts hurting Vietnam War MIA searches
On June 25, former Army Brig. Gen. Anthony Tata, now Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, assumed oversight of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA). In his first meeting with families of missing Vietnam War service members, he faced skepticism over budget cuts that have forced cancellations of MIA searches in Laos and Vietnam. Tata pledged to work for restoration of about $40 million in DPAA funding, as proposed in a bill by Sen. Deb Fischer attached to the NDAA. Budget cuts and fuel shortages from the Iran war have reduced recovery teams: in Vietnam from 27 to 7, in Laos from 13 to 5, and in Cambodia from 3 to 1. Tata also committed to pushing for declassification of records. DPAA director Maj. Gen. Kelly McKeague called the needed funding 'chump change' compared to the trillion-dollar defense budget.
Army TimesAnthony Tata assumes oversight of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency amid budget cut concerns
Former Army Brig. Gen. Anthony Tata, now undersecretary of defense for Personnel and Readiness, assumed oversight of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) and pledged to investigate budget cuts that have halted MIA searches in Vietnam and Laos. At the annual DPAA briefings for families of Vietnam War missing service members, Tata faced skepticism but promised to work to restore approximately $40 million in funding, attached to the National Defense Authorization Act via a bill by Sen. Deb Fischer. Budget cuts and fuel shortages from the Iran war have already forced cancellation of recovery teams in Laos. DPAA's budget dropped from $185 million in FY2025 to $167 million in FY2026, with a projected cap of $160 million in FY2027, leading to severe reductions in recovery teams in Vietnam (27 to 7), Laos (13 to 5), and Cambodia (3 to 1). Tata also addressed declassification red tape, supporting bipartisan 'Bring Home Our Heroes Act' to create an independent records review board.
Army TimesAnthony Tata takes oversight of DPAA, pledges to restore cuts to MIA searches in Vietnam and Laos
Former Army Brig. Gen. Anthony Tata, now Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, assumed oversight of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) and pledged to restore approximately $40 million in budget cuts that have forced cancellation of MIA searches in Vietnam and Laos. The cuts reduced recovery teams in Vietnam from 27 to 7, in Laos from 13 to 5, and in Cambodia from 3 to 1, due partly to fuel shortages from the Iran war. Tata promised families of missing service members he would support a bipartisan bill by Sen. Deb Fischer to restore funding via the NDAA. DPAA Director Kelly McKeague noted the DPAA budget fell from $185M (FY2025) to $167M (FY2026) with a projected cap of $160M (FY2027). Tata also vowed to push for declassification of records under the proposed 'Bring Home Our Heroes Act.' He claimed full backing from President Trump and Defense Secretary Hegseth.
Air Force TimesFamilies of Vietnam War MIAs Demand Answers as Budget Cuts Cancel Searches in Laos and Vietnam
Families of missing-in-action service members from the Vietnam War confronted the new overseer of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), former Army Brig. Gen. Anthony Tata, on June 25. Tata, now undersecretary of defense for Personnel and Readiness, promised to restore about $40 million in budget cuts that have forced the cancellation of MIA searches in Laos and Vietnam. Budget reductions—from $185 million in FY2025 to $167 million in FY2026—and fuel shortages linked to the Iran war led DPAA to cancel four recovery teams in Laos. The number of recovery teams in Vietnam dropped from 27 to seven, in Laos from 13 to five, and in Cambodia from three to one. Tata also pledged to push for declassification of records and expressed support for the bipartisan Bring Home Our Heroes Act. DPAA director Kelly McKeague called the needed funding 'chump change' compared to the $1 trillion defense budget. Tata's past controversial remarks, including calling Barack Obama a 'terrorist leader,' drew skepticism, but he insisted he has full support from President Trump and Defense Secretary Hegseth.
Military TimesAnthony Tata Takes Over POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Pledges to Restore MIA Search Funds
Former Army Brig. Gen. Anthony Tata, now Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, has assumed oversight of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA). At a June 25 briefing for families of Vietnam War missing service members, he faced skepticism over budget cuts that canceled MIA searches in Laos and Vietnam. Tata pledged to support restoring $40 million in DPAA funding via a bill by Sen. Deb Fischer attached to the NDAA. Budget cuts and fuel shortages from the Iran war led to the cancellation of four recovery teams in Laos. DPAA deployments have been slashed: from 27 to seven recovery teams in Vietnam, 13 to five in Laos, and three to one in Cambodia. DPAA director Maj. Gen. Kelly McKeague described the needed funding as 'chump change' compared to the $1 trillion defense budget. Tata also committed to pushing for declassification of records, as the 'Bring Home Our Heroes Act' seeks to ease bureaucratic hurdles for families seeking information.
Marine Corps TimesAnthony Tata promises to restore MIA search budget amid Vietnam War families' outcry
Former Army Brig. Gen. Anthony Tata, now the undersecretary of defense for Personnel and Readiness, assumed oversight of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) on June 25, 2026. He faced skepticism from families of Vietnam War missing service members at the annual DPAA briefings over budget cuts that have forced cancellation of MIA searches in Vietnam and Laos. Tata pledged to support restoring $40 million in cuts proposed in a bill by Sen. Deb Fischer attached to the NDAA. The DPAA budget dropped from $185 million in FY2025 to $167 million in FY2026, with a projected $160 million cap in FY2027, leading to severe reductions in recovery teams: from 27 to 7 in Vietnam, 13 to 5 in Laos, and 3 to 1 in Cambodia. Fuel shortages from the Iran war also caused April cancellations in Laos. Tata also committed to pressuring the military to declassify records, referencing the bipartisan 'Bring Home Our Heroes Act' to establish an independent review board. DPAA director Kelly McKeague called the needed $40 million 'chump change' relative to the trillion-dollar defense budget.
Navy TimesAnthony Tata Assumes Oversight of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Amid Budget Cuts
Anthony Tata, the new undersecretary of defense for Personnel and Readiness, has assumed oversight of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA). At the annual DPAA briefings for families of Vietnam War missing service members, he addressed skepticism over budget cuts that have cancelled MIA searches in Laos and reduced recovery teams in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Tata pledged to push for restoration of $40 million in DPAA funding via a bill by Sen. Deb Fischer, attached to the NDAA. The cuts, linked to fuel shortages from the Iran war, have slashed recovery teams in Vietnam from 27 to 7 and in Laos from 13 to 5. Tata also committed to reducing bureaucratic red tape blocking declassification of records. DPAA Director Kelly McKeague noted the budget fell from $185 million (FY2025) to $167 million (FY2026), with a projected cap of $160 million (FY2027).
Military TimesAnthony Tata Takes Over POW/MIA Agency; Families Demand Answers on Budget Cuts
Former Army Brig. Gen. Anthony Tata, now undersecretary of defense for Personnel and Readiness, has assumed oversight of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA). At the annual DPAA briefings for families of Vietnam War missing service members, he faced skepticism over budget cuts that canceled MIA searches in Laos and Vietnam. Tata pledged to support restoring $40 million in DPAA funding, attached to the National Defense Authorization Act via a bill by Sen. Deb Fischer. The cuts, exacerbated by fuel shortages from the Iran war, have reduced recovery teams in Vietnam from 27 to seven, Laos from 13 to five, and Cambodia from three to one. DPAA's budget dropped from $185 million in FY2025 to $167 million in FY2026, with a cap of $160 million projected for FY2027. Tata also committed to cutting red tape on declassifying records, referencing the bipartisan 'Bring Home Our Heroes Act' to establish an independent records review board.
Air Force TimesAnthony Tata promises families he will push for restored DPAA funding and MIA searches
Anthony Tata, the new undersecretary of defense for Personnel and Readiness, assumed oversight of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) and faced skeptical families of Vietnam War missing service members. He pledged on June 25 to work toward restoring about $40 million in budget cuts that have forced cancellation of MIA searches in Laos and reduced recovery teams in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Tata, a former Army brigadier general, cited fuel shortages caused by the Iran war as a factor. He also promised to push for declassifying military records. DPAA's budget has fallen from $185 million (FY2025) to a projected $160 million (FY2027). A bipartisan 'Bring Home Our Heroes Act' seeks to address bureaucratic hurdles in records access. DPAA director Kelly McKeague described the needed funding as 'chump change' compared to the trillion-dollar defense budget.
Marine Corps TimesAnthony Tata Takes Over DPAA, Pledges to Address Budget Cuts Halted MIA Searches in Vietnam and Laos
Former Army Brig. Gen. Anthony Tata, now Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, assumed oversight of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) and faced skeptical families of missing Vietnam War service members. Budget cuts and fuel shortages from the Iran war have forced DPAA to cancel multiple MIA search operations in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, reducing recovery teams significantly. Tata promised to support legislation by Sen. Deb Fischer that would restore $40 million in DPAA funding, calling the cuts unacceptable. He also pledged to push for declassification of military records that families say have long hindered answers about their loved ones. DPAA director Maj. Gen. Kelly McKeague noted the budget fell from $185 million in FY2025 to $167 million in FY2026, with further caps projected, describing the needed restoration as 'chump change' compared to the trillion-dollar defense budget. Tata emphasized he has full support from President Trump and Defense Secretary Hegseth.
Army TimesAnthony Tata Assumes Oversight of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Pledges Funding Restoration
On June 25, 2026, former Army Brig. Gen. Anthony Tata, now undersecretary of defense for Personnel and Readiness, addressed families of missing Vietnam War service members at the annual DPAA briefings. He pledged to investigate budget cuts that halted MIA searches in Vietnam and Laos, and to support restoring $40 million in DPAA funding via Sen. Deb Fischer's bill attached to the NDAA. Budget cuts and fuel shortages from the Iran war forced cancellation of recovery teams. DPAA director Kelly McKeague noted DPAA's budget fell from $185 million (FY2025) to $167 million (FY2026), with a projected $160 million cap in FY2027. Recovery teams in Vietnam dropped from 27 to 7, in Laos from 13 to 5, and in Cambodia from 3 to 1. Tata also committed to pushing for declassification of records, and bipartisan 'Bring Home Our Heroes Act' aims to establish an independent review board to ease information access for families.
Navy Times