Parts I through III can be found here:
http://www.pocketfives.com/41ED23F5-...82E0DE5FB.aspx

Part IVa:<SPAN> </SPAN>21 Days to Baghdad: Decisions, Decisions, Decisions…

After taking about an hour to reconsolidate, my company picked up and began to move again.<SPAN> </SPAN>Our mission was to reach Objective Raiders, which was just 20 miles or so south of the Karbala Gap.<SPAN> </SPAN>The Army’s highest-level commanders deemed the Karbala Gap a critical element of mission success.<SPAN> </SPAN>The Iraqis consider 2 cities to be their most holy in their country.<SPAN> </SPAN>These two cities were Karbala and Najaf.<SPAN> </SPAN>Karbala, located on the western-central portion of the country, contains one of the most holy Shiite shrines in all of Islam.<SPAN> </SPAN>The city itself is nestled very close to elevated, impassable terrain.<SPAN> </SPAN>The lane between the city and the high ground (The Karbala Gap) was not wide enough for an entire Brigade Combat Team to maneuver effectively.<SPAN> </SPAN>Because of the natural bottleneck that is formed, we expected to see the majority of an Iraqi Republican Guard brigade nestled all around the Karbala Gap.<SPAN> </SPAN>However, we first had to make it there.

Most nights, our company implemented a 25% security plan.<SPAN> </SPAN>This meant that 25% of all soldiers and vehicles were awake and operational while the other 75% would sleep.<SPAN> </SPAN>The way we decided to do this was for 1 person per tank to be up at all times.<SPAN> </SPAN>That person would sit in the gunner’s station and would use the Thermal Imaging Sight (TIS) to scam for enemy.<SPAN> </SPAN>Given our current position within the brigade, the chance of enemy contact was very minimal during this time.<SPAN> </SPAN>There were times during our movement to Baghdad that we would use 50% security, and there were others where we would continue moving through the night under the cover of darkness.<SPAN> </SPAN>Our normal downtime was from 2200 hrs to 0600 hrs, which meant that we could expect to sleep for 6 of the 8 available hours.<SPAN> </SPAN>We would rotate who got the first and last shifts, as they were the most desirable since it meant the 6 hours of sleep was uninterrupted.<SPAN> </SPAN>Some platoon leaders and platoon sergeants in the battalion decided that tank commanders would not pull security.<SPAN> </SPAN>My platoon sergeant and I argued over this point many times throughout the deployment.<SPAN> </SPAN>Personally, I felt that my sleep was no more important than anyone else’s.<SPAN> </SPAN>In fact, I felt that the tank driver needed the most sleep, as it was impossible for him to catch a cat nap at any time during the day while we were moving.<SPAN> </SPAN>There were many times that I would tell my gunner to catch some shuteye while I scanned and manned the trigger.<SPAN> </SPAN>My platoon sergeant felt that it was most important that the platoon leadership (Me and him) have a good night’s sleep, as we were the ones who had to make crucial decisions during the day.<SPAN> </SPAN>Many times, we would come to a mutual decision.<SPAN> </SPAN>However, with something like this, I had to put my foot down and tell him that he and I both would be pulling security along with the rest of my platoon.

The next day, we continued moving towards a large causeway in the Iraqi desert.<SPAN> </SPAN>As we approached the causeway, we began to take enemy mortar fire from two different directions.<SPAN> </SPAN><st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region> artillery triangulated the location of the mortar fire quickly and began to return fire.<SPAN> </SPAN>My company continued to move through the causeway and over the mountain.<SPAN> </SPAN>Once we crossed, we noticed a collection of buildings to our front.<SPAN> </SPAN>Our Brigade scouts in their High Mobility, Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV), or HUMVEEs to civilians, reported enemy movement within the facility.<SPAN> </SPAN>According to our intelligence, those buildings were active ammo depots.<SPAN> </SPAN>Our infantry platoon approached the buildings and dismounted from their Bradley Fighting Vehicles.<SPAN> </SPAN>After conducting a search, it turned out that the building had been recently abandoned.<SPAN> </SPAN>My platoon conducted a mounted search outside of the building, and it was there that I noticed dozens of discarded Iraqi army uniform items such as boots, berets, pants, and shirts.<SPAN> </SPAN>This struck me as odd, and I immediately reported my findings to my commander.<SPAN> </SPAN>Within seconds, the battalion commander called down and ordered me to conduct a patrol across the desert.<SPAN> </SPAN>It was now dusk and night was nearly upon us.<SPAN> </SPAN>I lined up my tanks about 500<SPAN> </SPAN>meters apart and we began to move out in a line formation.<SPAN> </SPAN>It became dark within minutes of moving out.<SPAN> </SPAN>We were moving along at about 12 mph and had all of our lights turned off.<SPAN> </SPAN>My orders were to continue across the desert for approximately 8 miles and then turn around and come back.<SPAN> </SPAN>After about 5 miles, my gunner reported human silhouettes walking across the desert more than 2,000 meters to our front.<SPAN> </SPAN>Now, even though the M1A1 uses a 1500 horsepower jet turbine engine, it is amazingly quiet.<SPAN> </SPAN>During previous training in the <st1:country-region w:st="on">Georgia</st1:country-region> forests, there were times that I was 100 meters from a tank and couldn’t hear it at all.<SPAN> </SPAN>It was obvious that these people walking through the desert didn’t know we were there.<SPAN> </SPAN>I called the contact up to my commander, who asked me if they were carrying weapons.<SPAN> </SPAN>At this point, it was hard to tell.<SPAN> </SPAN>We continued to move, and when we got within about 400 meters of the human figures, I noticed that they were in fact carrying rifles slung over their shoulders.<SPAN> </SPAN>All of a sudden, the approximately 18 figures took off running across the desert.<SPAN> </SPAN>After reporting this to my commander, the battalion commander’s voice came over the radio, “If they’re hostile, kill ‘em.”<SPAN> </SPAN>

My battalion commander just gave me an order to kill them if they’re hostile.<SPAN> </SPAN>They’re carrying weapons and are obviously not American soldiers.<SPAN> </SPAN>My battalion commander is not physically present and is relying on my judgment.<SPAN> </SPAN>I am in smack in the middle of combat operations and am less than 2 days removed from major urban combat in the town of Samarra. Our mission is clear: Eliminate enemy forces on the way to the Saddam International Airport.

What do you do?

I will post my actions in a day after I get some responses to this.

SECOND!

Well...they're running away from you, so I guess they aren't being hostile. But then again, who knows where they are going...if they're going to warn a ton of enemy soldiers of your presence, you've got to take them out. I suppose that's why you are posting this conundrum.....

I'd probably decide to take them out...and this is why I'm glad I don't have to make decisions like this.

Thanks as ever for posting.

Kill them. no questions asked. they aren't US, they ditched their uniforms, carrying weapons and are a threat to you, Kill them all.

I dont know the kind of terrain youre dealing with but if its safe to assume that there arent lots of other forces nearby, I would make it clear to them that you see them and see how they respond-I would think thats the easiest way to see if theyre hostile. I also think I am oversimplifying the situation...

I would have to see how they react. Non-hostils would probably surrender and wait to explain themselves. Hostiles would probably try to escape.

Still a tough spot, the easy answer is to just shoot....no one would even question that descision based on the evidence presented.

HOLY SHIITE! lol, sorry couldnt help myself. Well, the definition of hostile would be good to know. I dont remember you stating what hostile meant so i will go off my first thoughts.

You notice they have abandoned their uniforms, not sure if these are those guys. They are walking in the desert at night with weapons. If they were citizens, they should know not to be doing this. The 18 of them start running. You said they probably cant hear you but why are they running?

you have tanks and suprise attack is not really your mission so i dont think blasting these guys will give up your position. The first thing i thought of when reading was that saving private ryan part where they let the guy go who dug the graves and he ended up killing our dude in the building.

I would blast them. No way they are our guys right? Its a tough decision, taking that into account the clothes and the mortar fire from earlier, i call them hostile. But they are running away...you are in a pickle.

Thanks LP.

There's some great recommendations already in this thread. I'm impressed with some of the thought that's going on, especially since you weren't actually there. I'm glad I painted a decent enough picture for you all to make good decisions.

Remember, I had about 10 seconds to decide what to do.

I'll post my answer tonight.

Keep the recommendations coming.

What is your understanding of "hostile"? It seems to be a term that would have a certain meaning in your setting. Is it a term used to describe who the enemy are or how they are acting? While they were not at the moment acting in a hostile manner by running away, if they were in fact the enemy who you believed to have ditched their unis they were indeed hostile by virtue of being the enemy.

I don't think they get a free pass just because they are running away. We are not really using our concept of self defense, afterall, it's a war, not a street fight.

I think you go after them if you can safely do so, they will either fight or surrender. Based on their actions your course of conduct will be clear.

If the circumstances dictate that you must either let them run away or kill them I think you kill them. They have guns and they are running. This tells you they are not friendly. They know who you are as is evidenced from the previous shelling. I would not think you want to let them go to fight another day.

Did you guys have loud speakers and taped commands in a language that the Iraqis could understand? Such as "drop your weapons or we will fire." Or did the Army teach you how to say certain things to Iraqi soilders so you could try and communicate with them?

But I would just follow them so they know that I see them see what they decide to do, as of right now they dont stand much of a chance with rifles agaisnt tanks so even if they do turn out to fire on the tanks it isnt necesarily that important to be the first one to fire to gain an advantage.

Were you capable of taking P.O.Ws or if someone surrendered to you were you forced to just let them go?

I haven't read this yet. I will tonight after work but I imagine my decision will be all wrong

I'd proceed with caution. This very well could be a trap. Keep your distance and do not engage unless fired upon. Monitor their trek and stay alert.

were they shirtless, flexing, and wearing wristbands, abercrombie & fitch, and flipflops? if not, they probably werent hostile...

but seriously, if you were close to a major city i guess it would be hard to tell if they were armed civilians or outright enemies. i would assume you held fire and proceeded with caution...

The problem being a civilian and looking at these situations( same as with police actions) We have hrs to think about it and reflect on what to do.
So we always think it is simple and cut and dry. Thats why you see so many ppl yelling about police brutality and the like. If all you had was a few seconds and your life on the line. You have no real clue what you would do till it happens.
By looking at it from a calm civilian situation. It seems easy to say, wait and see what happens they arent acting hostile.
But in reality you are in the middle of a war. Any second no matter how superior your team is. Death can come. I have not and will prob never have to worry about this situation( mainly do to ppl like BGX and ess) which is why living in USA rocks.
I always tend to not judge, since i can never be in the persons shoes. So even if you blew them all to hell! I could try and understand that point.

Open fire since they are taking off running. Just another quality read BGX. These are getting more intense!

One question: When communicating with the others in your platoon, do you try and use talk to where the enemies cannot pick up on your location or can pick up what your plans are? obv when talking over your CB's.

Definately not just "shoot em all", most retarded thing to do in this spot. Someone pointed out keeping distance which sounds very reasonable.

Btw, BigGunX IF you had served in special forces during your time in Iraq, could u tell any of those stories about operations and so on? just asking for pure interest