The United States Military Code of Conduct
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The United States Military Code of Conduct (CoC) is the legal guide for the behavior of U.S. military members who are captured by hostile forces.
The Code of Conduct, in six brief Articles, addresses those situations and decision areas that, to some degree, all military personnel could encounter. It includes basic information useful to U.S. POWs in their efforts to survive honorably while resisting their captor's efforts to exploit them to the advantage of the enemy's cause and their own disadvantage. Such survival and resistance requires varying degrees of knowledge of the meaning of the six Articles of the CoC.
The current Code of Conduct was established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on 17 August 1955 as a response to inconsistent and prejudicial action taken by U.S. Military members during the Korean War. It has been twice modified, once in 1977 by President Jimmy Carter, and again in 1988 by President Ronald Reagan, who made the code gender-neutral. The CoC is covered under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
Contents |
[edit] Articles of the Code of Conduct
[edit] Article I
I am an American, fighting in the forces that guard my country and our way of life. I am prepared to give my life in their defense.
[edit] Article II
I will never surrender of my own free will. If in command, I will never surrender the members of my command while they still have the means to resist.
[edit] Article III
If I am captured I will continue to resist by all means available. I will make every effort to escape and aid others to escape. I will accept neither parole nor special favors from the enemy.
[edit] Article IV
If I become a prisoner of war, I will keep faith with my fellow prisoners. I will give no information nor take part in any action which might be harmful to my comrades. If I am senior, I will take command. If not, I will obey the lawful orders of those appointed over me and will back them up in every way.
[edit] Article V
When questioned, should I become a prisoner of war, I am required to give name, rank, service number, and date of birth. I will evade answering further questions to the utmost of my ability. I will make no oral or written statements disloyal to my country and its allies or harmful to their cause.
[edit] Article VI
I will never forget that I am an American fighting for freedom, responsible for my actions, and dedicated to the principles which made my country free. I will trust in my God and in the United States of America.
[edit] Medical Personnel and Chaplains
Since medical service personnel and chaplains are classified as 'retained personnel' and not Prisoners of War, the CoC is interpreted differently, but still applies. For example, Chaplains are not permitted to take command of POWs, no matter what their rank. Medical officers may only retain command over other medical personnel. Also, as long as they are allowed to perform their duties as 'retained personnel', they are not permitted to attempt escape from captivity. The CoC gives medical personnel greater scope in talking with their captors, as long as it remains within their scope of professional responsibility.
