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wounded, sick, and shipwrecked, from pillage or ill-treatment by any person, whether military orcivilian, seeking to harm them. 707.4.3 Range of Measures to Search for, Collect, and Protect the Wounded, Sick, andShipwrecked. A range of measures may be taken to fulfill the obligation to search for, collect,and protect the wounded, sick, and shipwrecked. Military forces may directly engage in theseactivities. 71In addition to searching for, collecting, and protecting the wounded, sick, andshipwrecked directly, commanders may take other measures to fulfill this obligation. Forexample, commanders may request the help of civilian volunteers. 72 As another example, if awarship is unable to collect the shipwrecked after an engagement, it might be able to alert ahospital ship in the vicinity or provide the shipwrecked with a lifeboat. 737.4.3.1 Armistices and Local Arrangements to Permit the Removal, Exchange, orTransport of the Wounded. Whenever circumstances permit, an armistice or a suspension of fireshall be arranged, or local arrangements made, to permit the removal, exchange, and transport ofthe wounded left on the battlefield. 74 Such arrangements may take the form of or include aprotected or neutral zone. 75Likewise, local arrangements may be concluded between parties to the conflict for theremoval or exchange of wounded and sick by land or sea from a besieged or encircled area, orfor the passage of medical and religious personnel and equipment on their way to that area. 7670 GWS COMMENTARY 152 (“In other words, the wounded and the dead must be guarded and, if necessary, defendedagainst all parties, whether military or civilian, who may seek to lay hands on them. Combatants, like medicalpersonnel, are called upon to prevent this, going, if necessary, to the length of using their arms for the purpose.”).71 For example, George W. Bush, Remarks to the Community at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Apr. 3, 2003, 2003-I PUBLIC PAPERS OF THE PRESIDENTS 404, 406 (“American forces and our allies are treating innocent civilians withkindness and showing proper respect to soldiers who surrender. Many Americans have seen the picture of MarineLance Corporal Marcco Ware carrying a wounded Iraqi soldier on his shoulders to safety for medical treatment.”).72 Refer to § 7.4.5.1 (Requests for Civilian Volunteers to Collect and Care for the Wounded, Sick, andShipwrecked).73 GWS-SEA COMMENTARY 131 (“The ‘possible measures’ which may be taken by the belligerents to collect theshipwrecked are, on the other hand, many and varied and in nearly all cases they should enable the purpose of thepresent paragraph to be achieved. Thus, a warship which was unable to collect the victims of an engagementshould, for instance, alert a hospital ship if there is one in the vicinity, or even a ship of any kind better equippedthan itself; otherwise, it should resort to the possibility provided in Article 21, and appeal to neutral vessels. It canalso alert the nearest coastal authorities, or request assistance from the air forces. Generally speaking, if a warship isforced to leave shipwrecked persons to their fate, it will endeavour to provide them with the means to enable them toawait rescue or reach the coast: life-boats, food, water, a compass, charts, etc.”).74 GWS art. 15 (“Whenever circumstances permit, an armistice or a suspension of fire shall be arranged, or localarrangements made, to permit the removal, exchange and transport of the wounded left on the battlefield.”).75 Refer to § 5.14.3 (Establishing Areas Where Civilians or the Wounded and Sick Are Protected).76 Refer to § 5.19.2 (Removal and Passage of Certain Personnel – Vulnerable Civilians, Diplomatic and ConsularPersonnel, the Wounded and Sick, and Medical Personnel).421