Airman searches in Vietnam for remains

Published Jan. 22, 2016
By 2nd Lt. Geneva Croxton
60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- When Tech. Sgt. Robin Bailon enlisted in Air Force in 2000, she didn't expect her career to place her in Vietnam, serving as a life science investigator.

But Bailon, an aircrew flight equipment specialist by trade, had the opportunity to venture far outside the scope of her traditional duties, recently returning from a trip working for the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency in Vietnam.

There, she searched for the remains of fallen service members and aircraft parts from a helicopter crash during the Vietnam War.

Headquartered in District of Columbia with an operational office in Hawaii, the DPAA is responsible for both the recovery and accounting of missing service members from past conflicts.

When the message came down from Air Mobility Command that it was looking for a team member, Bailon was excited to apply. She became interested in the program when she heard about it from co-workers who served on previous DPAA teams.

Her work with aircrew flight equipment opened the door for her to go to life science equipment investigation training, where she further developed her skills to contribute to the effort of Recovery Team 5, the DPAA team to which she was assigned to.

This past year, RT-5 was able to successfully clear the area around a crash site that was identified by the agency in 2007 and began the excavation. During her time there, Bailon worked closely with a civilian forensic anthropologist, a photographer, an explosive ordinance specialist, and a Vietnamese linguist to search for and recover aircraft pieces.

Bailon's hard work was noticed by both her teammates, and also her supervisor U.S. Army Capt. Jonathan Duncan, a 121st Joint Field Activity DPAA recovery team leader.

"Tech. Sgt. Bailon was instrumental in helping our team identify wreckage associated with the crash as she was the only subject matter expert on the team who could provide authoritative positive identification of aircraft pieces and parts, Duncan said.

"Her expertise was crucial in allowing us to fulfill our mission."

Duncan was responsible for leading 15 U.S. personnel on the mission, directing their work and coordinating with the Vietnamese Office for Seeking Missing Persons.

There were many challenges faced during the 21-days that Bailon spent in Vietnam with RT-5.

The remote and austere conditions at the site created logistical, manpower and life support problems that the team was able to overcome. The mountainous terrain was cold and rainy, which made the job more difficult. The ground was muddy and insects also created challenges for the team, but she refused to let the poor conditions get her down.

"I remember Tech. Sgt. Bailon was always willing to pitch in and do more than her fair share of the dirtiest, most grueling work we had to do," Duncan said. "She hauled buckets up and down steep muddy slopes, shoveled out mud from the holes we excavated, and stood in dirt, mud, and water, for up to eight hours for each of those days. She did all of those things happily despite knowing that she would have no chance to change into clean or dry clothes, or take a warm shower, until we got off the mountain and went back to town."

A positive attitude was paramount to the team's success.

"Bailon's willingness to support the team was a significant boost to overall team morale" Duncan added. "She consistently produced excellent work despite a lack of life support conveniences that are typically taken for granted in daily life, like running water, flushing toilets, reliable showers or warm water for bathing."

Despite challenges that RT-5 faced in Vietnam, their efforts bared results. On Dec. 14, 2015, four boxes of remains, which are thought to be those of U.S. service members killed in action during the Vietnam War, were given to the DPAA at a repatriation ceremony held at a Hanoi Airport, in Vietnam.

During her time in Vietnam, Bailon worked with members from each branch of service and said she enjoyed working with and learning about their similarities and differences. She also embraced the cultural aspects of the trip.

"I not only enjoyed the joint mission, but I also enjoyed working hand in hand with the Vietnamese," she said. "It was interesting. A lot of them don't really speak or understand English, so trying to communicate was challenging but it was fun experiencing their culture."

Something she cherishes from her trip is the camaraderie shared between not only the joint forces, but the Vietnamese military.

On Thanksgiving Day, Bailon's Vietnamese counterparts prepared a pig for the DPAA team. The DPAA members were also able to prepare a Thanksgiving meal and to share with the Vietnamese American culture and celebrating what we are thankful for.

"What better time to be on this mission than just after Veterans Day" Bailon said.