FM 3-21.8 The Infantry Rifle Platoon and Squad (Mar 2007) provides the following guidance for handling Enemy Prisoners of War (EPW). EPW procedures should be included in all operations orders and discussed during mission rehearsals to ensure all members understand how prisoners are processed and the location of EPW collection points throughout all phases of the operation to include: movement to the objective, actions on the objective and movement to the rear. The six simple rules for EPWs are Search, Silence, Segregate, Safeguard, Speed to the rear (the five S’s), and Tag. The tag includes the date of capture, location of capture (grid coordinate), capturing unit, and special circumstances of capture (how the person was captured).
The Five S’s include:
(1) Search the EPW thoroughly and disarm him.
(2) Silence—require the EPW to be silent.
(3) Segregate the EPW from other EPWs (by sex and rank).
(4) Safeguard the EPW from harm while preventing him from escaping.
(5) Speed the EPW to the designated EPW collection point.
Once the enemy is under friendly control, they assume the protected status of detainee. This is an umbrella term that includes any person captured or otherwise detained by armed force. Under the LOW, leaders and Soldiers are personally responsible for detainees under their control. Mistreatment of EPWs is a criminal offense under the Geneva Convention, AR 190-8, and The 1996 War Crimes Act (18 U.S.C. § 2441). The War Crimes Act makes it a federal crime for any U.S. national, whether military or civilian, to violate the Geneva Convention by engaging in murder, torture, or inhuman treatment.
The Five S’s include:
(1) Search the EPW thoroughly and disarm him.
(2) Silence—require the EPW to be silent.
(3) Segregate the EPW from other EPWs (by sex and rank).
(4) Safeguard the EPW from harm while preventing him from escaping.
(5) Speed the EPW to the designated EPW collection point.
Once the enemy is under friendly control, they assume the protected status of detainee. This is an umbrella term that includes any person captured or otherwise detained by armed force. Under the LOW, leaders and Soldiers are personally responsible for detainees under their control. Mistreatment of EPWs is a criminal offense under the Geneva Convention, AR 190-8, and The 1996 War Crimes Act (18 U.S.C. § 2441). The War Crimes Act makes it a federal crime for any U.S. national, whether military or civilian, to violate the Geneva Convention by engaging in murder, torture, or inhuman treatment.
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