Law of Armed Conflict

**RiceEater** · 10-07-2007, 07:35 PM

Just curious as to how many of you know what Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC) is?

FYI: All persons subject to US law must observe the Unitied States' LOAC obligations.

**rbob93** · 10-07-2007, 07:40 PM

Yes

**ArcticZ06** · 10-07-2007, 08:11 PM

yep

**1MileCrash** · 10-07-2007, 09:14 PM

i'm familiar with it in the aspects of the Geneva Convention. and i'm reading it right now.

**310stanger** · 10-07-2007, 09:17 PM

i feel stupid. i have no idea what it is. I'm making a strong guess that it was something I was taught in high school history class, and i jus dont remember. Jus please tell me it isn't something that all americans know and i'm that ignorant lol

**1MileCrash** · 10-07-2007, 09:24 PM

Originally Posted by 310stanger

i feel stupid. i have no idea what it is. I'm making a strong guess that it was something I was taught in high school history class, and i jus dont remember. Jus please tell me it isn't something that all americans know and i'm that ignorant lol

it's basically just the Geneva Convention...not allowed to attack pow camps, medical personnel and buildings, religious buildings and chaplains, no use of chemical gas, no overuse of force, no hollow point bullets, no shooting downed airmen or shipwrecked personnel, no intentional killing of civilians...you know..the usual stuff...rules of engagement and the uniform code of military justice.

**third_shift|studios** · 10-07-2007, 10:14 PM

Originally Posted by 1MileCrash

it's basically just the Geneva Convention...not allowed to attack pow camps, medical personnel and buildings, religious buildings and chaplains, no use of chemical gas, no overuse of force, no hollow point bullets, no shooting downed airmen or shipwrecked personnel, no intentional killing of civilians...you know..the usual stuff...rules of engagement and the uniform code of military justice.

this is a new kind of war though...all that needs to be thrown out the window.

**0rion** · 10-07-2007, 11:02 PM

anyone watch the Ken Burns documentary/series "The War"? It covered WW2. I DVR'd them and watched them. Awesome series if you didn't catch it, must see. Those laws look good on paper but when you're getting shot at I'm sure most guys forget about those laws. I also liked how we just bombed the living hell out of entire cities too. The technology back then wasn't what it was now so bombs weren't quite as accurate.

They called off a few air strikes because we just ran out of stuff to bomb.

**1MileCrash** · 10-08-2007, 03:09 AM

Originally Posted by third_shift|studios

this is a new kind of war though...all that needs to be thrown out the window.

agreed...things need to be changed, modified, and updated for a new type of war. the rules were set up in 1949 when we were expecting a large ground war through western europe and central asia against russia, but that's no longer the case.

0rion anyone watch the Ken Burns documentary/series "The War"? It covered WW2. I DVR'd them and watched them. Awesome series if you didn't catch it, must see. Those laws look good on paper but when you're getting shot at I'm sure most guys forget about those laws. I also liked how we just bombed the living hell out of entire cities too. The technology back then wasn't what it was now so bombs weren't quite as accurate. They called off a few air strikes because we just ran out of stuff to bomb.

unfortunately i missed it but hopefully the history channel or somebody will pick it up and air the series. i know it sounded incredible.

think about it this way...we bombed hiroshima and nagasaki and killed 100,000 civilians and ended the war...on a hunch that if we invaded mainland japan that over 250,000 americans would lose their lives.

if we even thought about doing something like that today it would be absolutely outrageous and it wouldn't happen.

**SS man** · 10-08-2007, 12:25 PM

Originally Posted by 1MileCrash

agreed...things need to be changed, modified, and updated for a new type of war. the rules were set up in 1949 when we were expecting a large ground war through western europe and central asia against russia, but that's no longer the case.

unfortunately i missed it but hopefully the history channel or somebody will pick it up and air the series. i know it sounded incredible.

think about it this way...we bombed hiroshima and nagasaki and killed 100,000 civilians and ended the war...on a hunch that if we invaded mainland japan that over 250,000 americans would lose their lives.

if we even thought about doing something like that today it would be absolutely outrageous and it wouldn't happen.

The Law of Armed conflict was put into effect after WW2. It was put into effect to not go and kill everyone or everything. I just wonder where it was when we were in Veitnam? I know that the Air Force used it in the north and it really screwed us but the Army in the jungle didn't use it when they killed almost everything they saw.