Duane Jones told the station his son, Melvin, was supposed to pick him up at the airport Thursday and the two were going to the Sun Bowl game, but he never showed.
The San Antonio Express News reports that the Army now considers Mathis AWOL, but Jones won’t be considered AWOL until January because he was on leave.
The newspaper reports the two men must be AWOL for 30 days before the military will begin searches.
KTSM reports Mathis is Asian American, 5-feet 3-inches tall and weighs about 120 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. Jones is black, 5-feet 3-inches tall, weighs about 130 pounds and has dark hair with hazel eyes.
Anyone with information is asked to call the El Paso Police Department at 915-832-4400.