C.
Your Rights and Responsibilities If Captured.
1.
General. Note soldiers' separate training on Code of Conduct, SERE, etc., provides
additional information.
2.
Rights as a Prisoner of War (POW). As discussed earlier, war prisoners are entitled to certain
protection and other care from their captors. Such care includes food, housing, medical care, mail
delivery, and retention of most of your personal property you carried when you were captured.
Generally, the POW cannot waive such rights.
Responsibilities as a POW.9
3.
a.
POWs must obey reasonable camp regulations.
b.
Information: if asked, soldier must provide four items of information (name, rank, service
number, and DOB). Explain that such information needed by capturing country to fulfill reporting
obligations under international law.
c.
Work. In addition, enlisted POWs may be compelled to work provided the work does not
support the enemy's war effort. Also, POW's are entitled to payment for their work. Commissioned
officer POWs may volunteer to work, but may not be compelled to do so. NCO POWs may be
compelled to perform supervisory work.
V. OBLIGATIONS TO PREVENT AND REPORT LOW VIOLATIONS
A.
Prevention. Soldiers not only must avoid committing LOW violations; they must also attempt to
prevent violations of the LOW by others.
Reporting Obligation. Soldiers must promptly report any actual or suspected violations of the LOW to their
superiors; if that is not feasible, soldiers report to other appropriate military officers (e.g., IG, Judge
Advocate, or Chaplain).
9
One attention getter is to have all students pull out their green military ID Card. Note that at the bottom of the front of the card, and
at the top of the back of the card, there is reference to the card serving as proper identification for purposes of the Geneva Convention
on Prisoners of War.
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