CombatantCombatant is the legal status of a person entitled to directly participate in hostilities during an armed conflict, and may be intentionally targeted by a belligerent for their participation in the armed conflict under the law of war. Combatants are not afforded immunity from being directly targeted in situations of armed conflict and can be attacked regardless of the specific circumstances simply due to their status, so as to deprive their side of their support.
CivilianUkrainian children in a shelter in Kropyvnytskyi, 1 March 2022, during the Russian invasion of UkraineIn contemporary international humanitarian law or law of war, civilians are people who are not members of any armed force to the conflict. It is a war crime under the law of armed conflict to deliberately target civilians in military attacks, along with numerous other considerations to minimize civilian casualties during times of war.
Prisoner of warA prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a range of reasons.
PeacekeepingPeacekeeping comprises activities, especially military ones, intended to create conditions that favor lasting peace. Research generally finds that peacekeeping reduces civilian and battlefield deaths, as well as reduces the risk of renewed warfare.
Military chaplainA military chaplain ministers to military personnel and, in most cases, their families and civilians working for the military. In some cases, they will also work with local civilians within a military area of operations. Although the term chaplain originally had Christian roots, it is generally used today in military organizations to describe all professionals specially trained to serve any spiritual need, regardless of religious, world philosophy or status.
WarIntense armed conflictClockwise from top-left:Ancient warfare: Stele of the Vultures, c. 2500 BCEMedieval warfare: Battle of Hastings, 1066Early modern warfare: Retreat from Moscow, 1812Industrial age warfare: Battle of the Somme, 1916Modern warfare: Normandy landings, 1944Nuclear warfare: Atomic bombing of Nagasaki, 1945War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organized groups.
Neutral countryState that is neutral towards belligerents in a given conflictWorld map showing various countries' degrees of neutrality: neutral countries whose neutral status is widely recognized neutral countries whose neutral status is disputed previously neutral countries whose neutral status has since endedA neutral country is a sovereign state that is neutral towards belligerents in a specific war or holds itself as permanently neutral in all future conflicts (including avoiding entering into military alliances such as NATO, CSTO or the SCO).
BelligerentA belligerent is an individual, group, country, or other entity that acts in a hostile manner, such as engaging in combat. The term comes from the Latinbellum gerere (meaning "to wage war"). Unlike the use of belligerent as an adjective meaning "aggressive", its use as a noun does not necessarily imply that a belligerent country is an . In times of war, belligerent countries can be contrasted with neutral countries and non-belligerents.
Law of warThe law of war is the part of international law that regulates the conditions for initiating war (jus ad bellum) and the conduct of hostilities (jus in bello). Laws of war define sovereignty and nationhood, states and territories, occupation, and other critical terms of law.
Hors de combatLook up in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Combat medicA combat medic is responsible for providing emergency medical treatment at a point of wounding in a combat or training environment, as well as primary care and health protection and evacuation from a point of injury or illness. Additionally, medics may also be responsible for the creation, oversight, and execution of long-term patient care plans in consultation with or in the absence of a readily available doctor or advanced practice provider.
MilitaryOrganized force intended for warfareNATO military ceremony in Pabradė, Lithuania, November 2014A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a distinct military uniform.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.