Missing in action (MIA) is a casualty Category assigned under the Status of Missing to armed services personnel who are reported missing during active service. They may have been killed, wounded, become a prisoner of war, or deserted. If deceased, neither their remains nor grave can be positively identified. Becoming MIA has been an occupational risk for service personnel for as long as there has been warfare.
Read more about Missing In Action: Problems and Solutions, Before The 20th Century, World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Cold War, Iran–Iraq War, Operation El Dorado Canyon (1986 U.S. Bombing of Libya), Gulf War, Animals, Colloquial Usage
Famous quotes related to missing in action:
“In Vietnam, some of us lost control of our lives. I want my life back. I almost feel like I’ve been missing in action for twenty-two years.”
—Wanda Sparks, U.S. nurse. As quoted in the New York Times Magazine, p. 72 (November 7, 1993)