Transitioning from Enemy Prisoner of War "EPW" Operations to Long-Term Detainee Operations

Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom put a new face on EPW operations that our nation has not witnessed before. The Armys capability to conduct long-term detainee operations, versus the traditional short term EPW operations, was put to the test. Our nation saw a new category of prisoner emerge, commonly referred to as a detainee. Detainee operations in the 21st century is a complex endeavor, multi-faceted and complicated by emerging national policy, numerous categories of detainees, recent Supreme Court decisions and the development of new military doctrine, all initiated to address the issues that arose out of the multiple investigations into the detainee abuses at Abu Ghraib. It is absolutely essential that we conduct detainee operations correctly in future wars to prevent the strategic and operational impact that the abuses at Abu Ghraib had on our nation. The intent of this paper is to explore the impact of long-term detainee operations and why it should be an important planning factor in future conflicts. Getting it right will prevent further damage to the United States image and reputation abroad and ensure we are a nation committed to honoring the Geneva Conventions and other applicable laws of war.