Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has called upon members of the 1139th Military Police Company of the Missouri National Guard to assist in the search for Lisa Irwin, who has been missing from her Kansas City home since October 4. Twenty-five members of the unit have joined police in ground searches for 10-month-old baby Lisa. This is a very good sign as the military can contribute many disciplines and resources to a Search and Rescue operation.I first became aware of the military’s potential impact on missing persons when my daughter Polly was kidnapped in 1993, during Fleet Week in San Francisco. This is the time of year when the U.S. Navy, including the Blue Angels, descends upon the San Francisco Bay to show off. During an appeal for search parties, many sailors and other local military personnel volunteered their services. It soon became apparent that many of these highly organized soldiers had expert training in Search and Rescue operations.
- The U.S. military is the best-equipped and trained search and secure force in the world, especially when force size is considered;
- Units are constantly training in field deployment;
- They utilize techniques and the most advanced communication, sensing and surveillance electronics available in the world;
- The military can rapidly deploy to the most inaccessible areas;
- They have mobile secure communication;
- The military has night vision and sensing availability that is unsurpassed. They “own the night”;
- The armed forces have a proven chain of command that is non-jurisdictional.
Will baby Lisa be found? It is still too early to say, but it is a big world and she is a little baby. However, the military’s involvement in her case is definitely an asset.
