Kimini, I find that it’s helpful to reflect on Rudyard Kipling’s poem Tommy:
[quote]I went into a public-‘ouse to get a pint o’ beer,
The publican ‘e up an’ sez, "We serve no red-coats here."
The girls be’ind the bar they laughed an’ giggled fit to die,
I outs into the street again an’ to myself sez I:
O it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy, go away”;
But it’s “Thank you, Mister Atkins”, when the band begins to play,
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it’s “Thank you, Mister Atkins”, when the band begins to play.
I went into a theatre as sober as could be,
They gave a drunk civilian room, but ‘adn’t none for me;
They sent me to the gallery or round the music-‘alls,
But when it comes to fightin’, Lord! they’ll shove me in the stalls!
For it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy, wait outside”;
But it’s “Special train for Atkins” when the trooper’s on the tide,
The troopship’s on the tide, my boys, the troopship’s on the tide,
O it’s “Special train for Atkins” when the trooper’s on the tide.
Yes, makin’ mock o’ uniforms that guard you while you sleep
Is cheaper than them uniforms, an’ they’re starvation cheap;
An’ hustlin’ drunken soldiers when they’re goin’ large a bit
Is five times better business than paradin’ in full kit.
Then it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ "Tommy, 'ow’s yer soul?"
But it’s “Thin red line of 'eroes” when the drums begin to roll,
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
O it’s “Thin red line of 'eroes” when the drums begin to roll.
We aren’t no thin red ‘eroes, nor we aren’t no blackguards too,
But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;
An’ if sometimes our conduck isn’t all your fancy paints,
Why, single men in barricks don’t grow into plaster saints;
While it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy, fall be’ind”,
But it’s “Please to walk in front, sir”, when there’s trouble in the wind,
There’s trouble in the wind, my boys, there’s trouble in the wind,
O it’s “Please to walk in front, sir”, when there’s trouble in the wind.
You talk o’ better food for us, an’ schools, an’ fires, an’ all:
We’ll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
Don’t mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
The Widow’s Uniform is not the soldier-man’s disgrace.
For it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ "Chuck him out, the brute!"
But it’s “Saviour of 'is country” when the guns begin to shoot;
An’ it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ anything you please;
An’ Tommy ain’t a bloomin’ fool – you bet that Tommy sees![/quote]
Anyway, we were shown a short video detailing some of more salient and immediately relevant aspects of the Geneva Convention as part of our TAFS (i.e. Territorial Army Foundation Scheme), which was mainly a weekend of Death By Powerpoint. Slide after slide after slide after promotional video after slide… 
Anyway, the Law of Armed Conflict can generally be referred to as latter-day chivalry, in a sense - it’s a code of conduct which that aims to keep fighting between the soldiers alone. It also includes an example of do unto others as you would have them do unto you - it’s all very well and good torturing PoWs for information, but when you’re captured you wouldn’t want the same being exercised on yourself! It governs things like who is classified as a non-combatant, medical priorities (medics have to give aid to those in most need of it, even if they’re enemy prisoners) how to conduct yourself during a truce and so forth.
One example is the fact that there’s an important distinction between Duping and Deception. Duping is the standard practice of tactics and guile that is an intrinsic and vital part of warfare, whereas Deception is the open contravention of the Law of Armed Conflict, disingenuously using symbols of protection to gain your own advantage, and strictly forbidden.
If you allow some misinformation to fall into your enemies’ hands that you’ve vacated a position, and they advance to it to be greeted by a faceful of artillery fire, that’s duping and fair game. However, if your enemy waves a white flag (which indicates that they wish for a truce), or walks out wearing a Red Crescent (inidicating that he’s a non-combatant medic) but then mows down your men with a machine gun the moment they lower their weapons, that is Deception and Treachery. People who commit Deception void all of their protections under the Law of Armed Conflict and you can very much declare open season on them.
Of course, not every country is a signatory to the Geneva Convention, and there are hardly solicitors dashing about on the battlefield to ensure that it’s always enforced to the letter. There are regulations against looting, for instance, but my barracks at Failsworth has a cabinet stuffed full of battlefield trophies. 
75 Engineer Regiment of the T.A. (which is the British Army’s reservists - the military isn’t a full-time profession for me) is a central component of the R.N. Dolphin and Sperm Whale Synchronised Swimming Trainers’ Flotilla (RNDSPWHSYNCSWTFL)… no, actually, it’s part of the Royal Corps of Engineers (RE) .
As I’ve joined a Headquarters squadron, once I’ve completed my basic training (everyone has to be able to demonstrate combat competence, even the clerks in the Adjutant Generals’ Corps!) I personally will be specialising in signalling and communications.
The Royal Engineers as a whole, though, are tasked with the role of combat support - facilitating our own Army’s manoeuverability (laying bridges and pontoons, clearing minefields, repairing roads, building bases) whilst denying it to the enemy (flip the coin to the other side - demolishing bridges, laying minefields, blocking roads, covering villages with razorwire…). Whilst the RE certainly isn’t composed of assault troops like the Paras and so forth, that portfolio can bring us right up to the front line.
