Editing Prisoner of war

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A '''prisoner of war''' ('''POW''', '''PoW''', or '''PW''') is a combatant who is imprisoned by an enemy force during or immediately after an armed conflict.<ref>[[Wikipedia:Prisoner of war|'''Wikipedia''' ''Prisoner of war'']]</ref>

Even in the 26th Century, the [[UNSC]] continues to take prisoners of war in their conflict against the [[Covenant]],<ref>'''Halo: The Flood''', ''page 187''</ref> often using them as manual labor to construct fortifications for defending against Covenant attack and digging graves for Covenant and UNSC dead.<ref>'''Halo: The Flood''', ''page 234''</ref> In general, however, UNSC Marines appear to maintain a "policy" of leaving no Covenant alive.<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe''', "[[The Mona Lisa]]", ''pages 262, 269''</ref> After the destruction of [[Installation 04|Alpha Halo]], multiple Sangheili were recovered in their lifepods by a UNSC-requisitioned [[prison ship]], the ''[[Mona Lisa]]'' and experimented on by an [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] [[John Smith|medical officer]] seeking ways to harness the Flood, either to find a "cure" or to use it as a weapon against the Covenant. The last survivor of these, [[Henry (Sangheili)|"Henry"]], assisted the other human prisoners on the ship and was one of only two survivors, with him and [[Patrick Rimmer]] joining a UNSC Marine squad to try and escape.<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe''', "The Mona Lisa"</ref> For much of the war, the Covenant refused to take prisoners, executing any human personnel who were captured or who surrendered.<ref>'''Halo: The Flood''', ''page 74''</ref> After the discovery that only human "[[Reclaimer]]s" could activate Forerunner artifacts, the Covenant kept them alive for such a purpose.<ref>'''Halo Wars'''</ref><ref>'''Halo: The Flood''', ''page 97''</ref><ref name="T and R">'''Halo: Combat Evolved''', campaign level, ''[[The Truth and Reconciliation]]''</ref> After the ascension of the [[Jiralhanae]] to the positions formerly held by the [[Sangheili]], UNSC PoWs were routinely captured and butchered for food for the Jiralhanae.<ref>'''Halo 3''', campaign level, ''[[Crow's Nest]]''</ref>

The [[Prisoner of War Medallion]] is awarded to [[UNSC Army|Soldiers]], [[UNSC Navy|Sailors]], [[UNSC Air Force|Airmen]] and [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marines]] who have been recovered from, escaped, or released from capture by the enemy. It is a rare sight within the ranks of the UNSC, even with the forces' deployments against the considerably more honorable human insurrection.

==PoWs in the Halo games==
Though the Covenant have repeatedly been stated to never take prisoners, the games depict UNSC captives in Covenant custody multiple times. 
*'''''[[Halo Wars]]'''''
**'''[[Relic Approach]]''' - A number of Warthogs are trapped behind Covenant energy shields, guarded by infantry and Ghosts.
**'''[[Anders' Signal]]''' - Professor Ellen Anders is captured by the Arbiter [[Ripa 'Moramee]], and imprisoned within a stasis field on a discovered Forerunner [[Trove|Shield World]] because of her ability to activate Forerunner technology. Anders managed to escape after being used to activate the shield world and was found by [[Sergeant]] [[John Forge]] who helped Anders get to the {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}}.
*'''''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'''''
**'''[[The Truth and Reconciliation]]''' - [[Captain (Navy)|Captain]] [[Jacob Keyes]] and several Marines are rescued by the [[John-117|Master Chief]] and a team of [[Orbital Drop Shock Troopers]] aboard the {{Pattern|Ket|battlecruiser}} ''[[Truth and Reconciliation]]''. Many more Marine bodies can be seen throughout the ship.{{Ref/Reuse|T and R}}
*'''''[[Halo 2]]'''''
**'''[[Gravemind (level)|Gravemind]]''' - several Marines are rescued from [[Holding chamber|prisoner cells]] by the Master Chief, as he rampages through [[High Charity]], following the [[Prophet of Truth]]. They are either killed by the Covenant, or infected by the [[Flood]] when it infects the holy city. Johnson and Miranda were taken to Installation 05, but would be rescued by Thel' Vadam in [[The Great Journey]].{{Ref/Level|H2|[[Gravemind (level)|Gravemind]]}}
**'''[[The Great Journey]]''' - A handful of [[Sangheili]] [[Councilor]]s are held captive in prisoner cells by the [[Brutes]]. They are rescued when [[Thel 'Vadam]] fights to stop [[Tartarus]] from activating the rings.
*'''''[[Halo 3]]'''''
**'''[[Sierra 117 (level)|Sierra 117]]''' - [[Sergeant Major]] [[Avery Johnson]] and three other Marines are captured by [[Jiralhanae]]-led [[Covenant]] forces during the UNSC's extraction of the Master Chief, and used as bait to draw the [[Spartan]] into a trap. They are rescued, and manage to fend off a Covenant counter-attack.{{Ref/Level|H3|Sierra 117}}
**'''[[Crow's Nest]]''' - Marine prisoners are tied up in the barracks of [[Crow's Nest]]. They were killed and tortured until the Master Chief managed to save them.
*'''''[[Halo 4]]'''''
**'''[[Spartan Ops]]''' - [[Fireteam Crimson]] were captured and held prisoner by [[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant]] after being surrounded by an insurmountable amount of forces. They successfully escaped 'Mdama's Covenant detention facility they were being held at by hijacking a Phantom.
**'''[[Spartan Ops]]''' - Sometime during the [[Requiem Campaign]] Lieutenant [[TJ Murphy]], as well as a Marine squad known as [[Icebreaker squad|Icebreaker]] were captured by Jul 'Mdama's Covenant forces and held at the same detention facility as [[Fireteam Crimson]]. Icebreaker squad were rescued by Crimson and together they managed to escape.
**'''[[Spartan Ops]]''' - [[Henry Glassman]] was [[Slipspace translocation|translocated]] to [[Requiem]] where he was captured by Jul 'Mdama's Covenant, they used him in order to activate a shrine where they believed they could come in contact with the [[Librarian]] AI. As the Sangheili were distracted by the activated shrine, Dr. Glassman made his escape.
**'''[[Spartan Ops]]''' - [[Fireteam Switchback]], minus [[Cara Costabile]], were captured and held at Warrens. They were eventually rescued by Fireteams [[Fireteam Crimson|Crimson]] and [[Fireteam Lancer|Lancer]].
*'''''[[Halo Wars 2]]'''''
**'''[[One Three Zero]]''' - [[Alice-130]] rescued imprisoned Marines hours that were captured during [[The Signal|initial exploration]] before rallying them at one of the Research Outpost. After successful evacuation, [[Captain (NAVCOM)|Captain]] [[James Cutter|Cutter]] ordered her to conduct a series of hit-and-run operations.
**'''[[Lights Out]]''' - [[Red Team]] rescues Marines and Hellbringers from the prison, and they join Red Team to hunt down and defeat [[Decimus]] once and for all.
*'''''[[Halo Infinite]]''''' - Several UNSC soldiers, as combat medic [[Lucas Browning]] and Spartan [[Hudson Griffin]], were held prisoner by the [[Banished]]. In addition, [[Jega 'Rdomnai]] captured ''[[Echo 216]]'' pilot [[Fernando Esparza]] in order to lure the Master Chief to the [[House of Reckoning (location)|House of Reckoning]]. The Chief rescued Esparza and killed Banished [[War Chief]] [[Escharum]].

==Notes==
*[[John-117|Master Chief]] is notable for having earned every major UNSC service medal and combat award, save for the Prisoner of War Medallion.{{Ref/Game|Id=H5GLED|Halo 5: Guardians Limited Edition|[[Halo 5: Guardians Limited Edition dossiers#John-117|Dossier files]] - John-117}}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:H3-MarinePOWs.jpg|UNSC Marines held captive by [[Brutes]] in [[A2 Hydroelectric Facility]], [[Tanzania]].
File:James Ackerson in Halo Uprising.PNG|Colonel [[James Ackerson]] held prisoner by the Brutes on the ''[[Triumphant Declaration]]''.
File:HTMCC-H2A Marine POW.jpg|A UNSC Marine being held in the detection center of ''[[High Charity]]''.
File:HTMCC-H2A Imprisoned Sangheili Councillor.jpg|A [[Sangheili High Councilor]] imprisoned in the [[Bastion of the Brutes]].
File:HINF PlasmaGyve.png|A [[Boxer Squad|squad]] of UNSC Marines imprisoned using a [[plasma gyve]].
</gallery>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo: First Strike]]''
*''[[Halo 2]]''
*''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''
*''[[Halo Uprising]]''
*''[[Halo 3]]''
*''[[Halo Wars]]''
*''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''
*''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]''
*''[[Halo 4]]''
**''[[Spartan Ops]]''
*''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]''
*''[[Halo: Escalation]]''
*''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]''
*''[[Halo Envoy]]''
*''[[Halo Infinite]]''
*''[[Halo: The Rubicon Protocol]]''
*''[[Halo: Outcasts]]''

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}

[[Category:Terms and phrases]]
[[Category:Military terminology]]