Wars and conflicts between nations have been at a fairly equated balance, with those in higher governments knowledgeable that the stability is more fragile than what many common citizens may think. More common armed conflicts reported by the media are those within a country between government forces and insurgents or rebels. However, there are some instances when armed tension happen between two opposing nations with opposing interests, and with these conflicts come sad news of impending death among armed combatants and the even worse occurrences of those taken prisoners denoted by a flashed POW-MIA flag.

The most popularized and highly publicized international wars during the last century may have been the first and second world wars, with the more modern armed conflicts such as those during the Cold and Gulf wars. Over time during the last 100 or so years, conflicts have seen less and less of combatants as frontline potential casualties as the rules of engagement have changed. The number of families carrying a POW-MIA flag has also diminished significantly, which is a good indication that consciousness and value for human lives even between soldiers are given more attention than before.

Wars may come and go without expected timing and with unexpected resolution, so as the instance of a POW-MIA Flag being hoisted to indicate a casualty of war being random. But, while the same armaments cause these outcomes of worry and grief, without them there may not be any hope for those people and nations being protected by the soldiers. To all soldiers who have placed their lives on the line for the sake of security of others, with some coming home victorious and some as kept captive by the enemy, we all salute you.