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[quote=Anonymous][quote=jsteele][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=jsteele][quote=Anonymous]The DNA library also includes any military personnel who have served since 1992, and those samples can and are used in criminal and paternity investigations.[/quote]

Apparently Wint was a marine, so that probably explains his DNA being in the library.[/quote]

Jeff, the posts about this "library" are both factually wrong in general and complete speculation in this particular case.  I'd remove these posts.[/quote]

I don't know about the library, but a washington post article refers to him as an exmarine [/quote]

I have no issue with the ex-marine part.  It's the DNA database part I take issue with, as I can assure you the posts above are factually incorrect.  This is something I know a lot about.[/quote]

A few minutes' worth of Googling suggests that DNA from members of the armed services is collected and that the police can get access to that collection. However, the hoops required for that access likely mean that this was not how the suspect's DNA was matched. If you know a lot about this, why don't you provide a simple explanation so that we will all be more knowledgeable?
[/quote]

Sure.  Just note I'm posting this as a private individual with knowledge gained via my professional work, not as any kind of official representative of the military or government.

Specimens from which DNA can be obtained are indeed collected from U.S. service members, and the collection to which the original poster was referring (primarily bloodstain cards) is held and maintained by the DoD DNA Registry.  Actual DNA profiles, however, are only developed from those specimens when it becomes necessary to do so.  That is, DNA profiles aren't developed automatically or routinely from those specimens, and therefore a database of all servicembers' DNA profiles does not exist.  Nearly always, profiles are developed from the specimens for identification purposes: when a service member is missing or believed killed, and there is an unknown specimen (tissue, bone, etc.) believed to potentially represent that individual to which the known specimen (the bloodstain card card collected originally) will be compared. There is no DNA database or "library" of all service member DNA profiles that can simply be searched.  You have to have a name, pull the specimen, and then generate the profile to make a comparison.[/quote]

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