missing in action

military casualty

Also known as: MIA

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Last updated

June 24, 2026

Quick Summary

"Missing in action" (MIA) refers to a member of the armed forces who is unaccounted for following military action and cannot be confirmed as captured or killed. The term is an acronym for "missing in action". Soldiers reported as MIA may be missing for a period of time, and their status can leave families with unanswered questions. The term can also be used figuratively to describe someone or something that is unexpectedly absent or inactive. This contrasts with a prisoner of war (POW), who is confirmed to be captured.1234

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Korean War
Battling over POWs
…were carrying 11,500 men as missing in action (MIA), but the communists reported only 3,198 Americans in their custody (as well as 1,219 other UNC POWs, mostly Britons and Turks). The accounting for the South Koreans was even worse: of an estimated 88,000 MIAs, only 7,142 names were listed. The…
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…were carrying 11,500 men as missing in action (MIA), but the communists reported only 3,198 Americans in their custody (as well as 1,219 other UNC POWs, mostly Britons and Turks). The accounting for the South Koreans was even worse: of an estimated 88,000 MIAs, only 7,142 names were listed. The…
Read More