*EPF406 03/21/2002
Text: Pentagon Clarifies Origin of GPS System Found in Afghanistan
(U.S. pilot lost possession of unit during a firefight) (200)

The Defense Department says a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit found by U.S. forces in Afghanistan belonged to a U.S. pilot who lost possession of it in a firefight during Operation Anaconda.

Following is the text of the Department's March 20 news release on the incident:

(begin text)

NEWS RELEASE
United States Department of Defense
March 20, 2002

DOD CLARIFIES ORIGIN OF GPS SYSTEM

During today's DoD press briefing information was presented regarding the recovery of a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit by U.S. forces conducting a search of a cave in the Operation Anaconda area. Initial indications that the GPS unit potentially belonged to a U.S. service member killed in Somalia several years ago have now been determined to be inaccurate.

Subsequent research regarding the origin of this particular GPS unit now indicates the unit belonged to a U.S. pilot who recently served in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. This service member transferred possession of
his GPS unit to another U.S. pilot before redeploying from Afghanistan. This second pilot lost possession of the GPS unit in a firefight during Operation Anaconda.

(end text)

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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