SITUATION
You are the commander of a platoon that is part of Battalion Landing Team (BLT) 1/5. The BLT has been in the country of Cortina for one week performing peacekeeping and security missions in support of an international humanitarian relief effort. As a result of years of internal strife and factional fighting, Cortina has experienced a total breakdown of essential services such as medical treatment and food and water distribution. Your platoon consists of 42 Marines (three 13-man squads) plus two Marine Scout/Snipers, two Marine Interrogator/Translators and two Navy Corpsmen. The platoon has been ordered to conduct a series of routine presence patrols during daylight hours in the village of Shughart-Gordon. The majority of the village populace supports the U.S. led humanitarian effort underway in their country. However, there are some small (but vocal) factions that have been attempting to undermine the U.S. mission. Latest intelligence reports indicate that at least one of the factions has been stockpiling arms and ammunition in anticipation of future military action against U.S. forces and other third-country personnel (international relief workers).
SPECIAL SITUATION
The following Rules of Engagement (ROE) apply:
1. Necessary and proportional force is authorized to control disturbances and disperse crowds threatening essential civic order.
2. Persons observed committing serious criminal acts will be detained using minimal force necessary up to and including deadly force. Serious criminal acts include homicide, aggravated assault, rape, arson and robbery. If you have exhausted all reasonable graduated response techniques and, in your opinion it appears that there will be a loss of human life, the use of deadly force may be used (as a last resort). Loss of life includes civilian on civilian violence.
3. Deadly force is not authorized to disarm Cortinians, enforce curfews, or stop looting, unless those individuals involved engage in hostile acts or demonstrate hostile intent. The looting or loss of non- sensitive equipment from U.S. sites or convoys are not grounds for the use of deadly force. Burglary and larceny are defined as looting, breaking and entering or stealing. These situations only warrant the use of non-lethal force "unless" the perpetrator is armed and displaying a hostile intent. In any situation, the existence of a perpetrator with a weapon displaying hostile intent is grounds for considering hostile intent. Hostile intent is defined as: pointing a weapon at an individual(s); holding hostages; discharging a weapon; striking an individual(s) with a weapon; and threatening to use the weapon or evidence of recent use of a weapon.
Your platoon is currently conducting its first presence patrol in Shughart-Gordon Village. After successfully patrolling the three major streets the patrol moves to the soccer field (east side of town) to provide security for an arriving humanitarian relief convoy. You assign 1st Squad to provide security on the soccer field and 2nd and 3rd to continue patrolling along the north-south road immediately west of the field. The Scout/Sniper team takes a position on top of the unoccupied schoolhouse (building number 20). At the soccer field, a large crowd forms and the following sequence of events takes place:
1. For an unknown reason, the crowd begins to throw rocks and fight amongst itself.
2. While the crowd is fighting, a man being chased by the crowd runs to your position and asks for your help.
3. The man asking for help is injured (broken arm and lacerations on scalp).
4. The relief convoy arrives and it is stopped and surrounded by the crowd.
5. 2nd and 3rd Squads report that the road is becoming heavily congested with civilians and they are becoming mixed in with the patrol. The crowd is pro-U.S. but shots are fired at the patrol from the cantina (building number 28).
6. 2nd Squad Leader reports that he has been approached by a civilian who informs him that the patrol is close to a weapons cache and that the people guarding this site are prepared to ambush the patrol if it comes too close to the cache.
7. The Scout/Sniper team observes armed personnel in and around a residential building (number 25).
REQUIREMENT
In a time limit of 15 minutes relate the orders that you would issue to your platoon for each event. Remember that these events occurred in the sequence above. Be prepared to provide an explanation of your plan and possible alternatives should the situation either escalate or deescalate with each event.
The MOUT Homepage Hot Links:
Designing TDGs: A Tactical Decision Game Workbook (Marine Corps University)
Peace Operations Training Vignettes With Possible Solutions (CALL)
| HOME | CONCEPTS | DOCTRINE |
| OPERATIONS 1 | OPERATIONS 2 | TECHNOLOGY |
| COMMERCIAL | RESEARCH | MOUT FORUM |
| COMMENTS | SIGN GUESTBOOK | VIEW GUESTBOOK |
| UNITS/IMAGES | DEDICATION |
Get your own Free Home Page