The  following  mistakes  can  lead  to  capture  for you  and  your  group: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. Lack  of,  or  insufficient,  preparation  and poor  physical  condition Absence of either opportunity or motiva- tion Failure  to  realize  civilians  areas  dangerous to an evader as members of the military Attempting  to  fit  into  the  society  rather than into the background Knowing  nothing  about  the  topography, climate, or people of the area Not  knowing  how  to  use  your  equipment, where it is located, or its purpose (and thus its value) Failure to use any opportunity to leave the vicinity of your landing when the enemy is in the area Failure to properly hide discarded equip- ment or trash Improper  cover  and  concealment  while traveling Improper and careless use of fire Ineffective and insufficient camouflage of persons,  equipment,  and  shelter Leaving evidence of passage, such as tracks in soft ground and broken twigs Approaching   members   of   the   local population,  assuming  them  to  be  friendly Lack  of  noise  discipline Traveling too near to roads, streams, lakes,  or  populated  areas Not treating injuries, which can later weaken  your  evasion  chances Failure  to  use  deceptive  techniques  while procuring  domestic  plants  and  animals Taking  easy,  short  travel  routes You must consider a lot of conditions when evading  the  enemy.  Remember,  you  and  your group will probably be captured if you are seen. Prisoner-of-War (POW) Camp What happens if you and your group become prisoners  of  war?  After  all,  that  is  possible.  Isola- tion, fear, injury—all work in favor of the enemy to increase your chances of capture in spite of a determined  effort  on  your  part  to  evade.  The  sur- render of your arms, however, doesn’t mean you forfeit  your  responsibilities  as  an  American  ser- viceperson.  The  Code  of  Conduct  directs  that  you begin  planning  your  escape  the  minute  you  are taken  prisoner. Escape  is  tough;  not  being  caught  after  escape is  even  tougher.    Escape demands courage, cunning, and much planning—of ways to escape, a route to follow, and the location of friends. Above all, escape demands physical stamina— stamina  you  must  acquire  under  the  worst  con- ditions  imaginable.  Experience  has  proven  that “model” camps with regular rations and con- siderate  treatment  are  the  exception.  But  no  mat- ter what extremes you encounter as a POW, strive to  keep  yourself  physically  able  and  sufficiently equipped to escape as soon as possible. If you are captured, try to make your escape early. You may never be in any better physical condition to escape than at that moment. Prison rations  barely  sustain  life,  certainly  not  enough to build up a reserve of energy. The physical treat- ment,  lack  of  medical  care,  and  insufficient rations of prison life soon show their effects in morale  and  physical  weakness,  night  blindness, and  loss  of  coordination  and  reasoning  power. There are other reasons for making your escape  early  after  your  capture.  Friendly  artillery fire and air strikes occurring during that time may increase your chances of getting away. The first guards you will have are not as well trained in handling  prisoners  as  those  farther  back  from  the front lines. Some of the first-line guards may even be walking wounded who are distracted by their own  condition.  In  addition,  you  know  something about the terrain where you are captured, and you know the approximate location of friendly units. Several days later and many miles away, you may be in strange territory. An escape from a POW camp is much more difficult and requires more detailed planning. It must be organized and sup- ported  as  any  other  military  operation. The misfortune of being captured by the enemy does not end your usefulness to your country. Your duty is to continue to resist the enemy by all possible means, to escape, and to help  others  escape. While a prisoner of war, never accept special favors in return for your promise not to escape or a promise to provide the enemy with informa- tion. Informing, or any other action endanger- ing  the  well-being  of  a  fellow  prisoner,  is FORBIDDEN.  Prisoners  of  war  may  not  help  the enemy  by  identifying  fellow  prisoners  who  may have  valuable  knowledge. If you are the senior person in a POW camp, you  must  provide  strong  leadership  to  maintain discipline.  Organization,  resistance,  and  even  sur- vival  may  be  extremely  difficult  without  discipline. Therefore,  discipline  yourself  and  your  group  to 6-18