Military code of Conduct ?

Question

I was asked if Senator McCain violated the Military Code of Conduct by refusing to leave the Hanoi Hilton when he had the chance.

I am not judging the action or the man. I wonder if had he left and been debriefed if we might have used that information to save more of the men ?

Was it in violation of the MCC at the time ?

Answer 1

No. As a POW, he made the appropriate decision to not accept any special favors unless they applied to all POWs and if they do not involve the POWs partaking in any actions that may hurt the US or their allies in the war. However, if he had chosen to escape, left some men behind and returned to friendly lines, then that action would have been legally approved by the Code of Conduct. BTW, it's the same Code of Conduct as todays.

Answer 2

She should call the civilian police about the underage drinking because if they get caught she will be in trouble too...First I would tell the cadet I will report him for underage drinking if he does it again. I am not going to jail for anyone else... The code of conduct for military is 24/7 on or off base. But as a civilian you are limited about what you can do. The landlord could try to get the cadet evicted if the lease agreement was violated. She could also try to contact the cadets command. That is tricky, but if she writes down a list of grievances and sends it to the school they will look at it. But do this as a last resort. If she has proof about the underage drinking I am sure the cadets will be in trouble for it. You called this person a cadet...are they ROTC? if so they aren't in the military yet...their is some grey are if the military is paying for the school..if this person is at an academy then there is more room for them to do something. If they are in the military as enlisted, then cadet is not the right word..(but that is ok if you don't get the terminology) Then their command would do something about it for sure.

Answer 3

Commander Mccain followed the Navy code of being a prisoner of war. The first captured is the first to leave.



Debriefed ! Do you believe the US military was unaware of how prisoners are treated? There isn't a lot of intelligence gathering for a navy officer in the dregs of the Hanoi Hilton, so McCain was not going to be much help to anyone !



McCain admitted that they broke him. He admitted to answering their question. He was probably a case study of how much we could expect our POW's to endure before they broke.



Limited information is the key to not being compromised when a POW is broken. The less he knows, the less he can offer to his captives !

Answer 4

Leaving your men behind is a no-no in military leadership. He was being brave by staying on and be subjected to more torture, hunger, sickness while in captivity. Looking back, even if McCain left earlier, nothing good would come out of it. The USA gave up the war. And what was left for the USA was to negotiate the release of all the men, starting with those sick and maimed. McCain was in relatively good health. Why should he be released first?

Answer 5

If I am captured I will continue to resist by all means available. I will make every effort to escape and to aid others to escape. I will accept neither parole nor special favors from the enemy.



if he did leave it would be considered a violation of article 3, they gave him the opportunity to leave since they knew who his father was

Answer 6

No.. You need to read the Code of Conduct. Here it is. (Current version.)





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.



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.



III



If I am captured I will continue to resist by all means available. I will make every effort to escape and to aid others to escape. I will accept neither parole nor special favors from the enemy.



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.



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.



VI



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.



McCain refused to take special favors. Getting to go home early, before those who were captured before him, would definitely have been a special favor. Whatever information he brought would not have been worth the betrayal of his fellow POWs.

Answer 7

No. He held to his obligation under Article III of that Code and refused to accept parole or special favor.