text: Chapter 3
  Army Health System and the Effects of the Law of Land
  Warfare and Medical Ethics
  The U.S. is a party to numerous conventions and treaties pertinent to warfare on land.
  Collectively, these treaties are often referred to as The Hague and Geneva Conventions.
  Whereas the Hague Conventions concern the methods and means of warfare, the
  Geneva Conventions concern the victims of war or armed conflict. The Geneva
  Conventions are 4 separate international treaties, signed in 1949. The Conventions are
  very detailed and contain many provisions, which are tied directly to the medical
  mission. These Conventions are entitled—
  * Convention (I) for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces
  in the Field.
  * Convention (II) for the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked
  Members of Armed Forces at Sea.
  * Convention (III) relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War.
  * Convention (IV) relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.
  SECTION I — THE LAW OF LAND WARFARE
  3-1. The conduct of armed hostilities on land is regulated by the law of land warfare. Refer to FM 6-27 for
  more information. This body of law is inspired by the desire to diminish the evils of war by—
  * Protecting both combatants and noncombatants from unnecessary suffering.
  * Safeguarding certain fundamental human rights of persons who fall into the hands of the enemy,
  particularly detainees, the wounded and sick, and civilians.
  * Facilitating the restoration of peace.
  3-2. The law of land warfare places limits on the exercise of a belligerent’s power in the interest of
  furthering that desire (diminishing the evils of war) and it requires that belligerents—
  * Refrain from employing any kind or degree of violence which is not actually necessary for military
  purposes.
  * Conduct hostilities with regard for the principles of humanity and chivalry.
  3-3. Refer to DODD 2311.01 (DOD law of War Program) and FM 6-27/MCTP 11-10C (The Commander’s
  Handbook on the Law of Land Warfare) for additional information on the law of land warfare.
  SECTION II — GENEVA CONVENTIONS
  3-4. The essential and dominant idea of the GWS is that the Soldier who has been wounded or who is sick,
  and for that reason is out of the combat in a disabled condition, is from that moment protected. Friend or foe
  must be tended with the same care. From this principle, numerous obligations are imposed upon parties to a
  conflict.
  PROTECTION AND CARE
  3-5. Article 12 of the GWS imposes several specific obligations regarding the protection and care of the
  wounded and sick.