U.S. Air Force HH-60G Pave Hawks fly near Aviano Air Base, Italy, in December 2023. The 57th Rescue Squadron and a group of base volunteers have joined the search for Staff Sgt. Joseph Charles Miele, who has been missing since July 23, 2024. (Joseph Bartoszek/U.S. Air Force)
AVIANO, Italy — U.S. Air Force search and rescue crews and a group of Aviano Air Base volunteers have joined the effort to find an American airman missing since Tuesday.
Search parties looking for Staff Sgt. Joseph Charles Miele now include the 57th Rescue Squadron and a coordinated volunteer contingent, the 31st Fighter Wing said in a statement Friday.
“We know this is a very difficult time for many and there is an overwhelming desire to help, but we ask that you please refrain from doing so, as you may inadvertently impede ongoing efforts,” wing commander Brig. Gen. Tad Clark said in the statement.
A radar tech assigned to the 606th Air Control Squadron at Aviano, Miele was reported missing by his unit Tuesday night after not showing up for work that day.
Miele’s Opel Astra was found in Andreis, a town in the mountains north of Aviano, wing spokeswoman Staff Sgt. Heather Ley said Friday, confirming reports by Italian news outlets.
An undated photo from social media of Staff Sgt. Joseph Miele, who went missing from Aviano Air Base in Italy on July 23, 2024. (Facebook)
The search is still on for Staff Sgt. Joseph Miele, who went missing from Aviano Air Base in Italy on July 23, 2024, base officials said the following day. Here he is seen climbing the radar tower at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, in 2017. (Alan Quevy/U.S. Air Force)
Investigators now believe Miele, 32, may have ventured with his dog along the paths of Valcellina, an area of ancient settlements at the foot of the Alps, according to Italian news agency Ansa.
Among the 57th Rescue Squadron’s tasks are search and rescue, personnel recovery and casualty evacuations. The area of interest is also being patrolled by firefighters and technicians from the Maniago mountain rescue station, Ansa reported.
If searchers need to enlist more manpower or resources, the request will be passed along through official channels at Aviano Air Base, Clark said.
The Air Force’s Office of Special Investigations is leading the effort to find out what happened to Miele, the wing said earlier this week.
