HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. – The 49th Wing hosted National POW/MIA Recognition Day on Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, in remembrance and honor of former prisoners of war and those missing in action, Sept. 17-18, 2026.
National POW/MIA Recognition Day is an annual commemoration that honors service members who made sacrifices, endured captivity and those who never returned home. Across the United States military, this day serves as a solemn reminder to the Holloman community, ensuring those service members are never forgotten.
Team Holloman held several events including a 24-hour flag relay run, a silent ceremonial vigil and a formal remembrance ceremony.
Prior to the ceremony was the start of the annual flag relay run. The POW/MIA flag is a black and white banner with the silhouette of a captive man, barbed wire and guard tower. It was created during the Vietnam War serving as a powerful national symbol of the nation's promise to never forget and abandon our service members that served with dignity and pride.
“Families carry it, units carry it, comrades carry it, sometimes generations carry it,” said Sean Lofland, American Legion Post 34 commander. “That is what the POW/MIA flag means to me. It represents that people were taken. It represents those whose fate remained unknown.”
Airmen took turns carrying the flag around the track. The continuous run brought Airmen together through a shared physical challenge while honoring the flag they carried.
It is also a tradition for Airmen to stand guard at the base POW/MIA monument, interchanging shifts every 30-minutes for a duration of 24 hours. While standing at the position of attention may be physically demanding, Airmen maintain their bearing. A flickering flame also burns serving as a visible reminder of America's commitment to the mission of finding those held captive and lost.
“That mission continues after the last shot is fired,” said Lofland. “Because the promise is not simply that we will remember them.”
The observance commenced with U.S. Air Force Col. Keith Carson, 635th Material Maintenance Group commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Jonathon Panchal, 635th MMG senior enlisted leader, running the flag into Heritage Park, formally ending the flag relay run.
During the ceremony, 12 service members who were born in New Mexico were recognized for their service and sacrifice.
“For those of us that have worn the uniform, we understand that a name is never simply a name,” said Sean Lofland, U.S. Army veteran and American Legion Post 34 commander. “It is a person who once stood in formation, someone who had a family, someone who had friends, someone who had a place in the formation beside the rest of us.”
For Team Holloman, the observance provided Airmen, families and veterans with the opportunity to reflect on the hardships endured by the generations of service members before us, it was a reminder of the responsibility carried by future generations.
“Today is the day where we as a nation reaffirm our shared commitment to fight for those held captive and celebrate those who made it back home,” said Col. Michael Mullin, 49th Wing commander. “We keep searching for those still missing and fight to ensure we bring home each and every one of our fellow Americans.”