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ENEMY

PRISONERS

OF WAR

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HANDLING ENEMY PRISONERS OF WAR.

• EPW’s are one of the most valuable sources of information

• Delivered to the platoon commander as quickly as possible.

• • Use the 5 S’s and a T

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5 S’s and a T

• SEARCH: • Prisoners are thoroughly searched

for weapons and documents as soon as they have been captured

• Weapons and documents should be tagged and immediately sent to the platoon commander

• This will also include searching the dead

• Systematic searches, and detailed• Use one searcher and one cover man• Control the situation

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5 S’s and a T

• SEGREGATE: • Prisoners are segregated into groups

• Officers, NCOs, privates, deserters, civilians, and females

• This prevents leaders from organizing escapes and issuing orders to subordinates

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5 S’s and a T

• SILENCE. • Silence is essential• Prisoners must not be allowed

to talk to one another • Methods available to the squad

are: using duct tape or gags to cover the Epws mouth

• Squad leader must ensure that the EPWs are able to breath and are treated humanely

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5 S’s and a T

• SPEED

• Required in getting prisoners to the platoon commander

• • Timely information secured

from prisoners is essential

• Do not delay

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5 S’s and a T

• SAFEGUARD:• Prisoners are safeguarded as

they are moved• They are restrained, but not

abused• They are not given cigarettes,

food, or water until authorized by assigned interrogators

• EPWS must not only be safeguarded from the enemy but also from friendlies alike

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5 S’s and a T

• TAG:

• All items taken from the EPW are tagged

• To include maps, equipment and weapons

• Personal items should be bagged and tagged

• The EPW and tagged gear should stay together

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EPW Tag

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EPW Tag• By tagging and marking documents

you can insure that the EPW from whom the items where taken from, go back to them or can be traced to them

• The type of document or equipment that was on the EPW or that you found

• The date and time you captured the equipment or documents

• The place where you obtained these items, grid preferably, name of the area that you are in

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EPW Tag

• The name of your unit, or unit that captured the items

• The circumstances of how you captured the items

• If the equipment or document(s) were taken from a prisoner, put his name on the tag so the intelligence teams will know who it came from

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SEARCH CATEGORIES

• EQUIPMENT. Items of personal or individual equipment which are new or not previously observed, may be of intelligence value and should be processed and reported

• • The types of such equipment or

supplies which may be individually carried or worn – all types of weapons– Ammunition– personal equipment (protective mask,

first aid kits, etc.)– clothing, and rations

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SEARCH CATEGORIES

• DOCUMENTS. A captured document is any piece of recorded information which has been in the hands of the enemy. Documents include maps, sketches, photographs, orders, tactical and technical manuals and instructions, code books, log books,

• Only those documents which appear to be of particular intelligence interest should be taken from EPWS

• Assure that they can later be identified with the individual EPW from whom taken

• Documents and records of a personal nature must be returned to the EPW from whom taken

• No instance should the personal identity card of a EPW be taken from him

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SEARCH CATEGORIES

• PERSONAL EFFECTS

• EPW's should be permitted to retain all of their personal effects

• Money, valuables, protective equipment, such as helmets, protective mask

• Equipment issued for the personal protection of EPWS are taken from them, they must be replaced with equivalent items serving the same purpose

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Search Team • Coverman - is responsible for providing

protection for the individual who is conducting the search of EPW’s

• The coverman should remain alert during the search and never takes his eyes off the EPW

• • Coverman should also be at minimum of

at least double arms distance from the EPW

• Searcher will cautiously search and pat down everything. Use EPW to shield effects of any pyro-techniques or enemy fire.

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Three types of Searches

• Hasty search - the searcher quickly pats down the EPW, looking for any obvious weapon and/or documents and equipment

• Detail search – – Search one side of the suspect’s body

(left or right) from head to toe

– Ensure you search head gear, collar, sleeves, pockets, waist, legs, foot gear and all individual gear

– When conducting searches on female EPWs, the searcher should be a female

– If female is not present, then a senior

enlisted may conduct the search

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Three types of Searches cont.

• Strip search –– Conducted on EPW's on whom you have

already found contraband

– Searcher should utilizes medical gloves and face mask

– The searcher goes through each item of clothing, paying particular attention to the pockets, linings, seams, and the inside of his foot gear

– EPW's body is then searched– – Inside and behind his ears, inside his nose,

under his tongue and between his lips and teeth– – Have him bend at the waist and spread his

cheeks, check his crotch and anal passage

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SEGREGATION CATEGORIES

• Officers

• Noncommissioned officers

• Privates

• Deserters

• Civilians

• Nationality

• Ideology

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QUESTIONS ??