Surrender

Prisoners are never to be mistreated or abused. In the United States Army, surrendered persons are to be treated according to the "5 S:s" until turned over to higher authority.

• Silence: so that they cannot plan an escape attempt; gag if necessary.
• Search: for weapons or items of intelligence value.
• Secure: tie up and/or guard carefully at all times, particularly at first.
• Safeguard: do not allow the dangers of the battlefield to hurt them
• Separate: soldiers from officers, men from women, combatants from civilians, to make them easier to control.

See also: War, laws of war, prisoner of war.