Key to any such discussion, however, is the forthright acceptance by the reader that the code is a moral guide and not a vehicle for judgment or retribution. Recognizing the service affiliation of the majority of the readers, the subject is approached using an Air Force interpretation of the code. The U.S. Air Force has taken the formal position that the code is comprised of its spirit and intent and its supporting guidelines. The spirit and intent or goal is simply to Survive with Honor . The guidelines are the articles of the code applicable in wartime and the expanded guidance provided for peacetime.
Moral responsibility relates to how well a captive lives up to the tenets of the code.
It is primarily the product of the captive's will and determination rather than of the captor's maltreatment. The key concern is not the number of violations of the code but how hard each captive tried to meet his or her moral obligations. One of the complex and unfortunate characteristics of modern captivity is that there are too few black and white alternatives open to the captive. The captor's motivations and the circumstances of detention, especially in peacetime, are so diverse that attempting to follow a rigid interpretation of the code can work unrealistic results which are unwarranted by the code's goal to Survive with Honor . It is interesting to note that the three USAF hostages in Iran admirably met their moral responsibilities yet followed separate courses of resistance.