JOINT RESOLUTION MEMORIALIZING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO REQUIRE THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE TO REINSTATE THE TERMINOLOGY OF "POW" OR "PRISONER OF WAR" INTO THE CLASSIFICATION OF MILITARY PERSONNEL

your Memorialists, the Members of the One Hundred and Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Maine now assembled in the First Regular Session, most respectfully present and petition the United States Congress as follows:

WHEREAS,  for many years in the past the United States Department of Defense used the terminology of "POW" or "Prisoner of War" to describe a member of the military's casualty status and category for reporting purposes; and

WHEREAS,  the United States Department of Defense’s current term, "Missing/Captured," dramatically reduces the impact of reports and alters the responses from national and international organizations that have historically interceded in such cases; and

WHEREAS,  the nature of war has changed markedly and permanently and, rather than change accordingly to provide maximum protection of all we send in harm’s way, our government has established requirements that are too specific to be workable, too vague to be applicable or too confusing to achieve understanding; and

WHEREAS,  the protection that should be automatically accorded those in harm’s way is seriously eroded with the "Missing/Captured" classification; and

WHEREAS,  American servicemen and servicewomen are not disposable items and their security and well-being are more significant than the concerns, goals, sensitivities and idiosyncrasies of our enemies, or of any other nation; now, therefore, be it

That We, your Memorialists, respectfully urge and request that the United States Congress require the United States Department of Defense to reinstate "POW" or "Prisoner of War" into the casualty status and category classification of military personnel; and be it further

That suitable copies of this resolution, duly authenticated by the Secretary of State, be transmitted to the President of the United States Senate, to the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, to the United States Secretary of Defense and to each Member of the Maine Congressional Delegation.