Dear , 

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We're starting the year with a short message from our CEO, Derek Abbey. Then, we'll follow that with answers to questions we often receive about our field missions.

A message from CEO Derek Abbey

How do you decide where to go next?

A field mission is the heart of Project Recover’s work. Research, search, documentation, and recovery are all elements of the missions we execute. A field mission can take more than a year to plan, and can cost anywhere from $50K to more than $1mm. At this time, if we had all the money we needed, we could execute missions related to 700 cases in our database associated with more than 3000 missing Americans. Our goal is to execute 30 missions a year around the world. We continuously update and review the cases in our database to determine which potential missions would have the highest likelihood of success. It could take many missions to complete a case.

Are there dangers to consider?

There are several dangers to consider relative to our missions, and the following is not an exhaustive list. We determine an area's health concerns that may require preventative measures and preparation. Many of the swamps and jungles we work in have mosquitoes. There is also the possibility of other insects, poisonous plants, reptiles, or small and large animals to watch out for. On the rock islands of Palau, the terrain is highly unforgiving, steep, and slippery, with little room for error. 

Team member, Casey Doyle, takes a break in the mangrove jungle to rehydrate.

Hydration and electrolyte supplementation are probably the most serious dangers for us because any of us could experience dehydration any day working in the hot jungle or on a barge that often feels like a frying pan. Even long hours underwater can result in dehydration.

How do you define success?

The first measure of success is executing the mission. That mission enables us to document and work the case. If we are searching and don’t find what we’re looking for, at least we know where not to look next time. Often, our work provides several clues on where to focus next. We are grateful that in the last several years, we have had great success in finding MIA-related planes and debris fields. Additionally, our 2020 expansion to executing recovery missions only adds to the continued success of our missions.

Tommy Doyle diving the wreckage of his father, Jimmy Doyle's B-24.