SOME CLARIFICATIONS ON WAR TROPHY POLICY
There has been an increase in the number of investigations concerning soldiers who have taken articles from warsites prior to authorization, resulting in nationwide headline news.
Central Command (CENTCOM) General Order 1A prohibits soldiers and units from taking war trophies. The reason: it is unwise and potentially dangerous to ship firearms and possibly explosive materials via civilian aircraft, the Army’s primary source for shipping soldiers’ belongings overseas. This prohibition does not include the lawful acquisition of purchased souvenirs that can be legally imported into the United States.
It is possible to ship home equipment if it is designated as historical property. A unit can get its captured equipment designated as historical property by securing the equipment at a designated enemy equipment collection point. The equipment should be tagged for easy identification. The unit must then submit a request through their chain of command to the Coalition Forces Land Component Command (CFLCC) Military History Group, requesting the material be designated as historical property.
The CENTCOM commander has limited requests to one weapon or weapon system per battalion, plus up to 12 nonweapon items. AK-47s, pistols, machine guns with tripods and ammunition canisters, and a T55 tank all count as weapons or weapon systems. Helmets, flags, a complete uniform set, etc. would be classified as nonweapon systems.
The request form is available from the CFLCC Military History Group at DSN 312-438-8021/29 or by e-mail at
[email protected].
Requests should be submitted 60 days prior to leaving. The request has to go through the chain of command to the CFLCC Military History Group. It must then be approved by the Center for Military History in Washington, DC. Once approved, it must then be checked by CENTCOM; the unit will then be notified that it can pick up and transport its equipment back to the United States.
Units must turn in all captured equipment to the Enemy Equipment Collection (EEC) point. Units must carefully tag only the equipment they want designated as historical property. The tag should include the following information: unit name, unit identification code, unit points of contact (POCs) with phone numbers in theatre and in the United States, and e-mail addresses. Units must include equipment descriptions and serial numbers. DA form 3161 must be completed to begin the chain-of-custody record.
Units unsure of the policy who have inadvertently sent enemy equipment home should contact their chain of command immediately to avoid penalty. Anyone violating Central Command or General Order 1A guide-lines is subject to punishment under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. (From CENTCOM Media Desk)