Emergency War Orders (EWO) are a shift in the standard operating procedure of the United States armed forces from a peacetime to wartime contingency. Emergency War Orders are activated after a devastating or sneak attack against U.S. forces, requiring swift action for remaining military units to avoid further destruction. Emergency War Orders are normally transmitted in Emergency Action Messages.
Some provisions often included in Emergency War Orders are:
Because Emergency War Orders are designed for activation only during a declared war, the last time such measures were in effect was during World War II. During the Cold War, EWO procedures existed in case of a nuclear attack by the Soviet Union.
For peace-keeping operations and non-wartime campaigns (such as Operation Enduring Freedom), EWO does not technically apply, although similar General Orders exist to deal with combat conditions and execution of military operations under fire.