DISCLAIMER: I’ve never been in a situation of social decent (on either side). I have witnessed the desegregation protest, the voting rights protest, the anti-war protest (that made the president surround the White House in a moot of buses). I watch the ’68 Democratic Convention riot with a Republican conservative in quiet. I observed the LA riots and the Kent State shooting in real time. I felt the fear of the looting and vandalism in my city until the mayor had enough gonads to remove the 150-year-old monuments to the lost cause. I’ve pondered what each side, at the time, dealt with and the reactions of the time.
Rules of Engagement
Basic rules of engagement (ROE) are guidelines for interaction, focusing on clear purpose, respect, effective communication, and appropriate action, ensuring smoother collaboration and conflict resolution, whether in business meetings (listen, stay on topic) or military/security contexts (proportionality, positive identification). Key principles include defining goals, respecting boundaries, using minimal necessary force/effort, communicating clearly, staying professional, and seeking de-escalation.
Rules of Engagement
(ROE) are directives issued by military authorities that delineate the circumstances, conditions, degree, and manner in which force may be applied. They serve as crucial tools to manage political objectives, ensure compliance with international law (such as the Law of War), and regulate the use of force by personnel.
Key Principles and Aspects of ROE
· Purpose: To manage operations, protect non-combatants, and provide clear, actionable, and legal guidelines for soldiers on the battlefield.
· Key Principles: Include the requirement for Positive Identification (PID) of targets, proportionality of force, and the right to self-defense.
· Scope: ROE dictates authorized targets, allowed weapons, and limitations on force to prevent civilian casualties
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· Enforcement: ROE are generally considered binding, and violations can lead to disciplinary action.
· Types: While often used in combat operations, ROE can also be applied during peacekeeping, humanitarian, or stabilization missions.
According to Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Publication (Pub) 1, the Law of War is defined as “that part of war that regulates the conduct of armed hostilities.” The purpose of the Law of War is to prevent unnecessary suffering, safeguard certain fundamental human rights of those involved in a conflict, and to ultimately restore peace.
During the late middle-ages, war became a cultural event studied from both political and philosophical perspectives.
Leaders around the world began to realize that unlimited warfare was counterproductive to most objectives.
Common customary practices started to become internationally accepted acts.
Some examples include formal declarations of war, prisoner exchanges, protection of civilians and noncombatants, and communication between warring factions by neutral third parties. Some common historical examples of this progression include the Hague Convention of 1907 and the better-known Geneva Conventions of 1949. Some of the outcomes of the Geneva Convention include the protection of the sick and wounded during land conflict and at sea, treatment of prisoners of war, and protection of civilians during time of war. Again, several of the laws and regulations that we abide by today have been developed from international customary practices that have eventually become codified to international law.
Proportionality states that the nature, duration, and scope of the engagement must not exceed that which is required to decisively counter the hostile act or the demonstrated hostile intent. We reply with only as much force as needed to eliminate our enemy. If a unit is pinned by a bunkered sniper, is .50-caliber or MK19 fire a proportionate retaliation? Yes, it is. An equivalent retaliation such as rifle-fire may not have been sufficient to eliminate the danger to our Marines. Either of those weapons would provide the quickest and most decisive way to neutralize the threat. Now, in the same respect, a 1000-pound bomb may be seen as a disproportionate response to an improvised explosive device (IED) triggerman when a rifle shot would eliminate the threat.
Avoid Unnecessary Suffering
Suffering will never be eliminated from war. What we must ensure is that our decisions and actions minimize unnecessary suffering to the enemy as well as to any civilians and noncombatants involved. This includes the proportionate destruction of property that is relevant to the mission. All of our actions during the engagement as well as our subsequent interaction with the enemy and noncombatants should be guided by this principle.
Distinction
The concept of distinction requires that combatants be distinguished from noncombatants and that military objectives be distinguished from protected places. Parties to a conflict are required to direct their operations only against combatants and military objectives and will be discriminate in nature.
All persons we detain on the battlefield, regardless of their status, are treated the same. All detainees have rights under the Geneva Convention that guide us in their handling. If they are injured, we provide treatment as if one of our own Marines. The following rules dictate our handling of detained persons:
• Search: Remove all weapons and items of possible intelligence from the detainee. Allow detainees whatever protective equipment is needed for safe transport to the detention facility.
• Silence: Do not allow detainees to converse with one another, as this may allow collaboration between them.
• Safeguard: Guard them, and allow no further actions against them, whether by other detainees or enemy forces. Ensure they receive the same protection as our Marines during movement to the detention facility.
• Segregate: This means separation of males from females, enlisted from officers, and also separation amongst religious or cultural affiliates.
• Speed: Ensure the proper process is conducted as quickly as possible, expediting the individual to the next stage of questioning or processing as soon as possible.
• Tag: Supervise proper documentation of their capture and ensure all the information collected arrives to the proper personnel in your unit.
Note: This last part is from the US Marines handbook.
What happens to a man who with other men (brothers, cousins, neighbors, fathers…) walk for miles and miles in all weather conditions on dirt roads to line up in a field and shoot at another person you don’t know? What commands from an officer incites deadly aggression against one who will respond by shooting back?
I do not have any answers why but our species do seem to love violence against one-another so wars go on with a multitude of reasons.
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On the other ‘Rules of Engagement’ I’ve never knelt down begging and praying for a positive answer of marital proposition with a ring and a promise of eternal admiration and fidelity.
The romantic gesture is still heart stopping on the stadium cam or at a gathering. If the answer confirms the request, then engagement parties can be planned, the couple will become one name and will live forever adored and comforted by the other.
If the answer is a reject, one player get a dusty knee and a ring with egg on face while the other will walk away without an excuse or reason to turn down the promise of eternal love.
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Luckily, there is the Walk for Peace to show humanity still lives.
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