Incirlik Airmen gather for POW/MIA remembrance Published Sept. 19, 2014 By Staff Sgt. Veronica Pierce 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey -- Men and women of the 39th Air Base Wing pay their respects to those who served past and present during a ceremony paying homage to prisoners of war and those still missing in action today. Each year POW/MIA recognition day is observed the third Friday in September, which was established by the 101st Congress on Aug. 10, 1990. "There are still 1,741 American personnel listed by the Defense Department's POW/MIA office as 'missing' and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War, as of April 2009," said Master Sgt. Royce Kerbow, 39th ABW command post and ceremony coordinator. "It's important to pause to remember the sacrifices and services of those who were prisoners of war, as well as those who are missing in action, and their families." Incirlik AB senior noncommissioned officers, members from the 5/6 Club and students from the Airman Leadership School class 14-6, took part in the reveille ceremony, raising the American flag in front of the wing headquarters building. After reveille played and flags were raised to their positions, Col. Craig Wills, 39th ABW commander, offered a message of gratitude thanking all service members who volunteered to make sacrifices for America's freedoms. "It's a privilege that we take a few moments to remember those who have gone before us that are missing in action and those who are prisoners of our enemy," said Wills. "Sacred is that we must never forget those who have fallen, sacred is that we must never give up on those who are still missing and that we never break our faith."