In At DPMO – Mr. Robert J. Newberry, was appointed acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense to head DPMO. Mr. Newberry according to his bio "serves as the Principle Director for Counternarcotics in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict. Mr. Newberry is joined by Col. George Gagnon USAF, Senior Military Assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Mr. Wade Ishimoto, Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of Defense and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict, and Ms. Rose Fairnot, Secretary for the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense Policy Support and Administrative Assistant in support of the Defense Policy Board.

Out At DPMO – Chief of Staff Mel Richmond and Executive Director John Unangst.

From what we have been able to learn Mr. Newberry and his team are in place to address certain problems within DPMO. Hopefully, they will be able to put DPMO on the right track. Notice we didn't say back on track, as DPMO has never been on track.

While no time line has been set, the transition team could be in place for a period of 60 - 120 days. With so much precious time lost due to the failure and absence of leadership under former DPMO head Jerry D. Jennings, it is imperative that failures within DPMO be quickly corrected and a qualified permanent DASD be appointed.

"Stature" – that's a word we've seen and heard a lot lately. It has been used by some and echoed by others, or is that used by others and echoed by some as an important qualification for the next Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for POW/MIA Affairs.

According to our dictionary the word stature is defined as a person of "importance or reputation gained by ability or achievement." No one fits that description better than Mr. Norman Kass. In his work with the Joint Commission Support Directorate, Mr. Kass has dealt with foreign leadership, both civilian and military at all levels. His fourteen years of experience working the POW/MIA issue is an achievement unmatched by any candidate currently under consideration for the DASD position. Stature is not bestowed by a title or rank, it is earned by ability, experience, and achievement. Mr. Kass has earned the trust and respect of POW/MIA family members, veterans and concerned citizens. Based on this there is no one with more "Stature" than Mr. Norman Kass.

As of this date, Mr. Kass has received the endorsement of the following POW/MIA family and Veteran and Concerned Citizens groups, National Alliance of Families, the Korea/Cold War Families of the Missing, the Korean War POW/MIA Network, the Coalition of Families of Korean & Cold War POW/MIAs, the POW Network and Help Free POW*MIA's Now!, Northeast POW/MIA Network, and Prisoner of War/ Missing in Action CT Forget-Me-Nots, Inc.