Who takes command within a prisoner of war camp or among a group of prisoners of war, or a group of personnel detained by hostile forces?

Who takes command within a prisoner of war camp or among a group of prisoners of war, or a group of personnel detained by hostile forces?

• A. The senior person eligible for command, whether officer or enlisted according to grade and DOR seniority
• B. The most senior officer only
• C. The highest rank among detainees
• D. The person with longest service in the unit

Answer: (A)

In a group of detainees, the leader is the senior person who is eligible to command, and this can be either an officer or an enlisted person. Eligibility is determined by their grade and date of rank (DOR) seniority, so the person who has the highest appropriate authority and the earliest date of rank leading to seniority is the commander. This approach provides a clear, fair method to establish leadership when mixed groups are held, avoiding disputes that could arise if leadership were based only on being the highest rank or on length of service. So, the leader isn't required to be the most senior officer or the one with the longest service; instead, it's the senior person eligible for command across both officer and enlisted groups, with grade and DOR used to break ties.

In a group of detainees, the leader is the senior person who is eligible to command, and this can be either an officer or an enlisted person. Eligibility is determined by their grade and date of rank (DOR) seniority, so the person who has the highest appropriate authority and the earliest date of rank leading to seniority is the commander. This approach provides a clear, fair method to establish leadership when mixed groups are held, avoiding disputes that could arise if leadership were based only on being the highest rank or on length of service.

So, the leader isn't required to be the most senior officer or the one with the longest service; instead, it's the senior person eligible for command across both officer and enlisted groups, with grade and DOR used to break ties.