The Code of Conduct Cognitive Lesson Objective: • Comprehend the principles of the Code of Conduct. Cognitive Samples of Behavior: • Distinguish correct courses of action in accordance with each article of the Code of Conduct. • Summarize the interrelation of the Core Values and the Code of Conduct. Affective Lesson Objective: • Respond to the value of the Code of Conduct to you as an Air Force Officer. Affective Samples of Behavior: • Voluntarily discuss the value of the Code of Conduct. • Voluntarily discuss correct courses of action in accordance with the Code of Conduct. 387 The Code of Conduct 387 “SIJAN! MY NAME IS LANCE PETER SIJAN!” hese words are immortalized in the book, Into the Mouth of the Cat by Malcolm McConnell. These words resonate with anyone familiar with Captain Lance Sijan, Tan F-4C pilot who was shot down on 9 Nov 1967 while on a mission over North Vietnam. Despite serious injuries, he survived the crash of his F-4 and evaded capture for 45 days. Even with a compound fracture in his leg, a skull fracture, and a mangled right hand, he overpowered one of his guards and escaped shortly after his initial capture. Upon his recapture, Captain Sijan was repeatedly tortured. His fellow POWs witnessed his commitment to the Code of Conduct in his refusal to disclose any information, and his near unbelievable continuing attempts to escape despite his worsening medical condition. “I’m not going to tell you. It’s against the Code,” became Captain Sijan’s mantra, as reported by his fellow POW Colonel Bob Craner. Captain Sijan would later become the first graduate of the United States Air Force Academy to receive the Medal of Honor, posthumously awarded to his parents in 1976. With Captain Sijan’s extraordinary leadership and moral courage above and beyond the call of duty in mind, let us now look at the Code of Conduct. This Code of Conduct—which applies to all military members whether in combat, captivity, or any other circumstance— has stood the test of time and war since 1955 when the President signed Executive Order 10631 into law proclaiming an official Code of Conduct for members of the US Armed Forces. That is not to say that the Code has not been revised or changed to reflect emerging trends in warfare. For example, the Code was made gender-neutral by President Reagan to reflect our more diverse fighting force. A more substantial change occurred in 1977 by President Carter’s Executive Order 12017. This change is fairly significant and warrants brief discussion here. One of the reasons a Presidential Commission was appointed in 1976 to evaluate whether there was a need to revise the code stemmed from the implicit legal requirement in the original Article V: “When questioned, should I become a prisoner of war, I am bound to only give name, rank, service number, and date of birth.” Instead of being a moral or ethical guide, this seemed to have the weight of law. Military members were ordered to resist capture at all costs and if captured, to attempt escape; to give the enemy no information than what was explicitly allowed in Article V; to obey the orders of senior officers; to accept no favors from the enemy; and to make no written or oral statements disloyal to the United States. Failure to strictly adhere to this could result in disciplinary action. But American POW experiences in Korea and Vietnam proved that we had entered a new type of warfare, one in which our enemy felt no obligation to honor the humane constraints of the Geneva Convention. Our POWs may very well be subjected to extreme coercion beyond any reasonable ability to resist. Following the war in Vietnam, we learned that many POWs truly anguished over how to handle interrogations in light of the Code. Must 388 they strictly adhere to it as long as physically and mentally possible, or could they offer up misinformation to secure a cessation of torture? Many suffered unbearable guilt because they had “cracked” under torture and had given more than what Article V allowed. Moreover, what happens if in obeying one provision of the Code means that you have to disobey another provision? Arguably the best example of this lies with what happened to Captain John Dramesi. In April 1967, while on a bombing mission in North Vietnam, Captain Dramesi’s aircraft was shot down and he was immediately captured. Despite his injuries, he managed to escape but was quickly recaptured and punished for the attempt. This did not deter him and in May 1969, he and another POW, Edwin Atterberry, again attempted escape. Within 12 hours, they were recaptured. As punishment for the escape attempt, Captain Dramesi was repeatedly tortured for days on end, denied sleep, and put on a bread and water diet for 30 days. But the North Vietnamese did not punish Dramesi and Atterberry alone; they also punished the entire POW camp populace. Afterwards, the senior officers outlawed further escape attempts. This created a significant dilemma. The Code directs you to make every effort to escape and yet equally requires you to obey the lawful orders of your superiors. Can a senior officer order a modification to the Code in order to ensure the survival of fellow prisoners? Regardless of how conflicted POWs may have been about this, it became clear that it was impossible to follow the Code literally under the given circumstances. The result of the Vietnam War, as reflected in the new 1977 Code of Conduct, was a more realistic guide for how one should handle oneself if faced with captivity. It released the POW from the “die before you talk” mentality that caused so much shame and guilt to those prisoners who were unable to withstand the dehumanizing and brutal torture of their captors. Article V was changed to reflect our understanding of this new era of warfare. The word “bound” was changed to “required,” and the word “only” was deleted. This then changes the Code from one of implicit legal requirement to one of a more structured, ethical guide that can give a POW strength without shame, a path to follow without guilt. As a Navy spokesman explained, “The feeling was to make [the Code of Conduct] more reasonable. You can only take so much... They don’t expect you to be a superman, or superwoman, or superhuman.” Ultimately, as stated in Taking Command, “Like any soldier, each leader must adhere to the moral obligations prescribed by the Code. In addition, the leader is responsible for training his/her [troops] to do likewise. He/she manages and inspires his/her subordinates in a manner that maximizes their opportunity to abide by the Code. Therefore, a leader must understand fully the details of the Code, its purposes, and underlying principles.” 388 The Code of Conduct 389 CODE OF THE US FIGHTING FORCE s a member of the Armed Forces of the United States, you’re protecting our nation. It’s your duty to oppose all enemies of the United States in combat or, if a Acaptive, in a prisoner of war compound. Your behavior is guided by the Code of Conduct, which has evolved from the heroic lives, experiences, and deeds of Americans from the Revolutionary War through our combat operations in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Your obligations as a US citizen and a member of the Armed Forces stem from the traditional values underlying the American experience as a nation. These values are best expressed in the US Constitution and Bill of Rights, which you’ve sworn to uphold and defend. You would have these obligations—to your country, your service and unit, and your fellow Americans—even if the Code of Conduct had never been formulated as a high standard of general behavior. Just as you have a responsibility to your country under the Code of Conduct, the United States government has an equal responsibility: to always keep faith in you and stand by you as you fight for your country. If you’re unfortunate enough to become a prisoner of war, you should know that your government will care for your dependents and will never forget you. Furthermore, the government will use every reasonable means to contact, support, and gain release for you and for other prisoners of war. To live up to the Code, you must not only know its words but the ideas and principles behind those words. What follows below is an extract from Department of the Army Pamphlet 360-512, which contains the Code, an explanation of its principles, and a statement of the standards expected of you. You will also find woven into the Code, Captain Sijan’s story as he remains one of the best examples of an Airman Warrior who lived and ultimately died by the Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct is an ethical guide. Its six articles deal with your chief concerns as an American in combat; these concerns become critical when you must evade capture, resist while a prisoner, interact with fellow prisoners, or escape from the enemy. Although the Code of Conduct applies to all military personnel, there are special allowances made for medical personnel and chaplains, often referred to as retained personnel. These allowances apply for specific Articles and enable these personnel to better execute their unique, specialized duties. Experiences of captured Americans reveal that to survive captivity honorably demands great courage, deep dedication and high motivation. To sustain these personal values throughout captivity requires that you understand and believe strongly in our free and democratic institutions, love your country, trust in the justice of our cause, keep faithful and loyal to your fellow prisoners, and hold firmly to your religious and moral beliefs in time of trial.