THE CODE OF CONDUCT

THE CODE OF CONDUCT Learning Objective: When you finish this chapter, you will be able to— Recognize the responsibilities stated in articles I through VI of the Code of Conduct for members of the Armed Forces of the United States. Because of the conduct of a few Americans during the Korean conflict, President Dwight D. Eisenhower prescribed a Code of Conduct for members of the armed forces in 1955. That code provides American military personnel with a standard of conduct should they be captured by an enemy. It provides a framework of ideals and ethical standards that will help personnel resist the physical, mental, and moral onslaughts of their captor. Many Americans have been prisoners of war (POWs), and they all agree that life as a POW is hard. A few POWs were unprepared or lacked the ability to maintain their faith and loyalty under extreme pressure. The enemy broke their will, and they gave information and/or acted in a way that hurt their country and their fellow prisoners. If you ever become a POW, don’t make up stories; your interrogator will eventually catch on and could resort to harsher methods to try to gain information. A simpler, “I don’t know,” is a better answer. Your captors will use many methods to gain information. They will try to get prisoners to collaborate by torturing them or by trying to turn prisoners against each other. Although forbidden by the Geneva Convention, history has shown that some captors have resorted to physical and mental forms of torture to get the information they want. Maintain your faith in your God, your country, and your fellow prisoners. Remember the first sentence of the first article of the Code of Conduct, “I am an American, fighting in the forces which guard my country…” If you live up to that principle, you don’t ever have to worry about an investigation concerning your behavior. You won’t live the rest of your life knowing that something you said harmed your fellow prisoners, comrades in arms, or your country and its allies. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan issued Executive Order 12633, amending the Code of Conduct to use gender-neutral language. First expressed in written form in 1955, the Code is based on time-honored concepts and tradition that date back to the days of the American Revolution. The six articles of the Code of Conduct are as follows: ARTICLE I I am an American, fighting in the forces which guard my country and our way of life. I am prepared to give my life in their defense. 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. 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. ARTICLE IV If I become a prisoner of war, I will keep faith with my fellow prisoners. I will give no information or 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. 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. ARTICLE VI I will never forget that I am an American, fighting for freedom, responsible for my actions, and dedicated 2-2 Student Notes: