LC — Battle Damage Assessment (BDA)
A PL and his platoon are conducting BDA as part of a QRF and they come upon two IED emplacers that have been engaged by friendly forces. The two emplacers are likely to expire due to their injuries; the PL must decide whether to initiate CASEVAC or not.
Topics covered:
Treatment of wounded enemy
Leader as moral compass
Ethics & emotions in combat
Unit culture
Kill vs let die
Moral injury
What’s the Situation?
- You are an infantry platoon leader. A soldier in your company lost his legs in an IED attack the previous day.
- A group of IED emplacers are observed in the act by a surveillance asset. Attack helicopters engage them, and your platoon is sent as the QRF to conduct Battle Damage Assessment.
- Your platoon finds two severely wounded IED emplacers. The two emplacers are likely to expire due to their injuries so you must decide whether to initiate CASEVAC or not.
- One of your squad leaders asks the PL to “just walk away” and let the soldiers deal with the insurgent [implying that they will cause him to die].
