Code of Conduct
“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.”
All members of the United States Armed Forces are taught the US Military Code of Conduct. It is the standard to which all US military prisoners of war are held. This standard was borne out of the harsh treatment by the Koreans and Chinese of US servicemen captured during the Korean war. Some US fighting men captured actually refused repatriation at the conclusion of the war, while one out of three reportedly cooperated with the enemy. Without a code of conduct, our captured Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines broke under the pressures of torture, starvation and mental anguish unknown to previous generations of American fighting men.
In 1955, after nearly two years of Congressional inquiry, President Eisenhower signed Executive Order 10631 which stated “Every member of the Armed Forces of the United States are expected to measure up to the standards embodied in the Code of Conduct while in combat or in captivity.” In an attempt to ensure that those captured by the enemy would know the standard, the US military required specific training for all service members so that they would know what their country expected and how to emerge from the darkest prisons and meanest camps with not only their honor and integrity intact but also all who they represent on the battlefield.
