# USA Doctrine on Recovering Captured Mil Pers



## The Bread Guy (12 Jan 2007)

*DoD Doctrine on Recovering Captured Military Personnel*
Federation of American Scientists Secrecy News web log, 11 Jan 07
Article Link

The recovery of American personnel who are lost or captured in the course of military operations abroad is the subject of a new Department of Defense doctrinal publication (pdf).

"The President of the United States can choose to exercise military, diplomatic, or civil options, or a combination thereof, to recover isolated personnel" and each of these options has been utilized over the past two decades, the report notes.

The practices and procedures for locating missing personnel and for planning and executing their recovery are discussed. See "Personnel Recovery," Joint Publication 3-50, January 5, 2007 (283 pages, 2.5 MB PDF).


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## Good2Golf (17 Jan 2007)

Many western Nations deal with Personnel Recovery in similar manners.  Not surprisingly, UK methods (and NATO) are quite similar.

UK JWP 3-66 Joint Personnel Recovery

G2G


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## tomahawk6 (17 Jan 2007)

The goal is to try to recover MIA/POW's - if they can be found. This is the first war we have been in that soldiers who are captured are killed. This makes it far more difficult to recover their remains. We never recovered Capt Speicher from DS. Despite all efforts to find his remains he is MIA and unless we get an Iraqi to come forward he wont be found. Same with SSG Maupin. Its hardest on the families which may be intentional on the part of the terrorists.


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## AmmoTech90 (17 Jan 2007)

Anything in there about using Apaches as troop carriers?

http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/55949.0.html

Note however it does match their doctrine (extracted from G2G's link):



> Normally, the primary rescue vehicle will be a helicopter, although any air, surface or sub-surface vehicle may be used subject to the risk assessment and the need for expediency.



I would guess that the need for expediency outweighed the risk assessment in this case.

D


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## Good2Golf (18 Jan 2007)

AmmoTech, nothing explicitly about using attack helicopters, but it has been done several times.  I also know of two cases where US Army Apaches were used the same way.  In one case, the pilot of a downed OH-58D Kiowa Warrior and his co-pilot/observer were rescued by an Apache.  The Apache's co-pilot/gunner got out, the wounded OH-58 crewman was put in the front seat of the Apache, and the OH-58's pilot and Apache's co-pilot used snap-links to hook their survival vests to the Apache's upper fuselage and they sat on either side's avionics compartments.

G2G

http://www.defendamerica.mil/articles/nov2004/a110404d.html

_*edit: link added*_


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## rmacqueen (18 Jan 2007)

tomahawk6 said:
			
		

> This is the first war we have been in that soldiers who are captured are killed. This makes it far more difficult to recover their remains.


That is a fantastically inaccurate statement.  American POW's were executed in Vietnam, Korea, WWII and probably every major war they have ever been involved in.


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## tomahawk6 (18 Jan 2007)

I guess what I meant was in Iraq or Afghanistan soldiers who are captured are murdered. The insurgents dont warehouse prisoners as in our other wars. This may have to change the psychology of the soldier where surrender isnt a viable option.


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## rmacqueen (18 Jan 2007)

tomahawk6 said:
			
		

> I guess what I meant was in Iraq or Afghanistan soldiers who are captured are murdered. The insurgents dont warehouse prisoners as in our other wars. This may have to change the psychology of the soldier where surrender isnt a viable option.


I could definately see a change in attitude similar to that of Vietnam and the Pacific theatre in WWII, where the mentality became that of avoiding capture at all costs.


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## AmmoTech90 (18 Jan 2007)

Good2Golf said:
			
		

> AmmoTech, nothing explicitly about using attack helicopters, but it has been done several times.  I also know of two cases where US Army Apaches were used the same way.  In one case, the pilot of a downed OH-58D Kiowa Warrior and his co-pilot/observer were rescued by an Apache.  The Apache's co-pilot/gunner got out, the wounded OH-58 crewman was put in the front seat of the Apache, and the OH-58's pilot and Apache's co-pilot used snap-links to hook their survival vests to the Apache's upper fuselage and they sat on either side's avionics compartments.
> 
> G2G



Guess I missed the   out of it, it was meant to be slightly tongue in cheek.  I happened to be down in Middle Wallop yesterday, where the Army School of Aviation is, watching over the PotATOs while they were being guided around the WAH-1 Apache.  There was a bunch of media poking around regarding the RM's rescue mission.  Lots of places to clip on to the Apache's side.

D

PS- Gotta love English village names...Over Wallop, Middle Wallop and Nether Wallop.


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## Good2Golf (18 Jan 2007)

D, don't worry, I didn't take it that way...just wanted to add some gen from another -64 operator.  Yup, plenty of bits to clip on to!  ;D

G2G


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## tomahawk6 (18 Jan 2007)

Put hand holds on the wing stubs. ;D
I always liked the skids on the old huey alot more possibilities.


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## Journeyman (18 Jan 2007)

If the snaplinks weren't enough, I'm sure adrenaline would _make_ some hand-holds   ;D


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## Good2Golf (18 Jan 2007)

Journeyman said:
			
		

> If the snaplinks weren't enough, I'm sure adrenaline would _make_ some hand-holds   ;D



Chuck Norris would just stare at the Apache and it would hold on to him!


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## The Bread Guy (20 Jan 2007)

Good2Golf said:
			
		

> Many western Nations deal with Personnel Recovery in similar manners.  Not surprisingly, UK methods (and NATO) are quite similar.
> 
> UK JWP 3-66 Joint Personnel Recovery
> 
> G2G



Thanks G2G - excellent resource!


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