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Servicemembers and contractors, part of the Personnel Recovery Council, discuss scenarios for rescue and recovery missions at Al Faw Palace in Baghdad July 19. Spc. Britney Bodner, USF-I Public Affairs

Brigadier Gen. John Rossi, USF-I J3, speaks to the members of the Personnel Recovery Council at Al Faw Palace in Baghdad July 19. Spc. Britney Bodner, USF-I Public Affairs

BAGHDAD – Leaders from across Iraq who work to rescue or recover missing personnel met July 19 at Al Faw Palace on Camp Victory to discuss current and future recovery operations.

The Personnel Recovery Council is a semi-annual two-day event that brings together individuals involved in the recovery of isolated, missing, detained, or captured personnel. Representatives from the Department of State, the FBI, and United States Divisions were on hand to discuss their efforts to find and recover isolated servicemembers or contractors.

Members of the U.S. Division – North, 3rd Infantry Division personnel recovery section gave an overview of their experiences with rescue and recovery in their area of operations in the past few months to learn what has been happening in USD-South and Center, said Lt. Col. Marvin Chavous, the USD-N personnel recovery officer.

Chavous said they also wanted to learn more about personnel recovery and establish contacts with other components and agencies like the FBI.

“Attending the council also ensures that all of our personnel recovery officers are trained, has support for their programs, and allows everybody the opportunity to make contacts that we can use when all available forces and resources are needed in order to recover an isolated person,” said Air Force Lt. Col. Scott Pierce, director of the United States Forces – Iraq Personnel Recovery Coordination Cell.

Coming to the council provides an opportunity to establish relationships within the personnel recovery community, said Kevin O’Connor, a DoS special agent at the U.S. Embassy regional security office. It provides them with opportunities to find mutual solutions to issues they may be facing.

Sergeant Maj. Mike Masson, the Asymmetric Warfare Group sergeant major, said he came to let council members know how his section contributes to rescue missions and to take away a better understanding of operational level assets and systems.

“Personnel recovery is a relatively new concept for the Army,” said Chavous. “I see it becoming more important, especially if we include the asymmetrical warfare that we’ve seen in the past few years; it will have great significance in the future of military operations.”

“It’s important to be familiar with the systems that we’ve set in place to respond to a capture and what we do to get isolated persons back,” Masson said.

The council also allowed agencies such as the FBI to interact with servicemembers, to learn what works for military personnel recovery sections and to explain the FBI’s capabilities and limitations, said Joe Clark, a personnel recovery specialist for the FBI personnel recovery coordination group.

As the Department of Defense presence in Iraq draws down, the State Department will be increasing its role in personnel recovery. The FBI also will be involved in helping and assisting DoS, Clark said. It’s very important that the FBI understands how DoD operates and the lessons they’ve learned from the operational environment.

“Operation New Dawn and the drawdown is going to change the organization,” Pierce said. “We need to make sure that the personnel recovery program can adapt to those changes.”