Tactical Decision Game #05–11
Chaplain's Choice
by LT Dean R. Johansen, USN
Situation
Your battalion has a supporting mission to assist the host country’s forces that are combating guerrilla forces. The support role focuses primarily on training, but there is also a potential for the use of deadly force should the guerrilla forces come in contact with the Marines. Rules of engagement permit Marines the use of deadly force should they be fired on.
You are the battalion chaplain and have been called from one of the companies to the combat operations center (COC). Your chaplain’s assistant (RP3) is providing security for you, and he has no combat experience. He is qualified with the M16A1 and 9mm pistol and carries both with him. He has 120 M16 rounds and 30 rounds of 9mm ammunition.
The enemy’s capability and morale are mixed. They have some capability with small arms but tend to flee against superior forces. Their mission is to kill or harass civilians, kill the host country’s military forces and, if possible, kill Marines. Their objective of gaining the public’s support is lost, so they are at best inflicting as much damage as possible as their ranks thin. Therefore, they have shown no mercy when they confront those of lesser capability. Their morale is poor as this has been a long campaign. They have suffered overall losses of 60 percent with little to show for it. They are not known to have been any closer than 10 to12 miles from your present location in the past 3 to 4 months. They have made no known advances and have been retreating for the last few weeks.
The environment is tropical jungle with numerous hills that range up to 2,000 feet. Your immediate location, however, has gently sloping hills that are approximately 500 feet high. It is late in the day, not quite dusk, with full darkness approaching sometime within the next hour. There has been heavy rain in the area for nearly 1 1/2 hours, but it has slowed to a light rain.
You are approximately 300 to 400 yards from the COC and should be there in 15 minutes. You are proceeding counterclockwise around a 200-foot hill that has dense vegetation. RP3 is in the lead. He stops and looks slightly down and to your right and couches down and motions with his right hand for you to move to his left. At this point, gunfire comes from your right. You and the RP3 dive/crawl to the left and find shelter behind the trunk of a large tree. There is another fallen tree trunk at the base of the tree where you’re hiding. There is good cover. You notice that the RP3 has blood on his right leg and also right abdomen. What is evident is that the COC should be aware of the gunfire and could possibly be responding. It appears as though there are five enemy firing at you. There is intermittent fire coming from your direct front. Their next move could be to flank you and either force you to surrender or kill you. If you can hold out for 10 minutes, it’s possible that you’ll receive support from the COC’s security force.
RP3 has significant bleeding. You notice that he is turning pale, all the while engaging the enemy. You’re attempting to staunch the flow of blood. Firing continues. RP3 points out that he is not doing well and that he may not be able to defend your position much longer. He asks you to take the 9mm and round. What are your options? What do you do?
Requirement
In a time limit of 30 seconds make your decision. Provide your response with the rationale for your decision and an overlay of any actions you would take.
