I have a dumb question about the POWs.

[SuiteDisney]

When we recover a POW, are they automatically released from the military, or are they just given some time to go home and recouperate and then have to go back and serve again?

It seems to me that once they've been a POW, they've given enough and should be honorably discharged and get to go home a hero.

 

[powellrj]

I have wondered the same thing. I hope someone will have an answer!

 

[MJames41]

Not a dumb question, but I think they would still have to serve, although they may get some perks, like choice of duty assignment, etc. For instance, Jessica Lynch could get assigned to the recruiting post close to her home to serve the rest of her enlistment.

This would be after they have recuperated, and for long term recuperation, (provided they can go home), they are often assigned (temporarily) to the local duty station close to home.

Again, not sure of all this (except for the assignment to local duty stations for recuperation), and that was as of 1987.

 

[Olaf]

They'll be evaluated for their physical and mental state, and it will be determined if they can remain on active duty to finish out their commitment.

We've learned a lot about how to handle POW's since the Vietnam War. When they came back, a couple of them commited suicide (my family knew one of them). They also had a very high divorce rate; very few of those marriages endured more than a few years after their return. But, those guys were incarcerated for years.

I'm sure this group will be just fine in the end. Now we just after to find our missing in action guys.

 

[jenjie]

Did you guys hear the interviews with Riley's parents? When asked if he would want to stay in the military, his parents said they knew he would. Then joked about him being AWOL the past few weeks and getting his pay docked.