The Prisoner of War Medallion is a medal awarded to UNSC personnel who have been captured (POW) in combat by enemies of the UNSC. It is an honorable decoration, though few humans have it. The Covenant do not take prisoners, except the occasional straggler to execute for sport or when one is needed to activate Forerunner technology. There are few other enemies of the UNSC that the military contends with, so the medallion is a rare sight.