Trade-offs and prisoner of war policy under renewed great power tension

Prisoners of War are a fact of war and must be accounted for legally, operationally, and strategically. The recent wars fought by the US have been characterised by detainee operations for combatants without soldier status. This article outlines the issues of detention and POWs to highlight the importance of this issue as a potential factor in winning armed conflict. The argument is that the US strategy is pivoting to competition, and preparation for potential war with China. As such, POW considerations need to be part of strategic and military planning. While the US has a robust doctrine for planning for POW operations under the laws of war, the US has historically struggled to exploit effectively and advantageously POWs for victory. Common trade-offs and considerations associated with detention policy are outlined. The article concludes with a call to make detention operations, with all that entails, part of the strategic conversation regarding great power competition.