Understanding the rules of engagement

  • Published
  • By By Staff Sgt. Patrice Clarke
  • 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  In the game of football, there are very defined guidelines for playing the game -- from who can join the line of scrimmage to who can be the first person to touch the football after a kickoff. When one of those rules are broken, whether a player knew that rule existed or not, a penalty ensues.

Just like football, the military has a set of rules of engagement that must be followed by every member. The 8th Security Forces Squadron Airmen here received a better understanding of those rules during a briefing Jan. 11.

"It's important that every member of the Wolf Pack understands the rules of engagement," said Capt. Erica Harris, 8th Fighter Wing deputy staff judge advocate.

Some Wolf Pack members directly engage with the enemy in real-world threats. These Pack members range from pilots to security forces and SFS augmentees to special agents. Within the Korean peninsula, which is currently operating under armistice ROE and has been since 1953, the rules are especially important.

"When we participate in these peninsula-wide exercises, we exercise the wartime rules of engagement," said Captain Harris. "Since the differences to the rules of engagement could mean life or death for these members, it is imperative that they know and understand them."

Wolf Pack security forces members put this in perspective throughout the different scenarios in the exercise, one of those being a simple gate runner scenario.

"During peacetime operations, if we had a gate runner, we would try neutralize the situation before neutralizing the actual adversary," said Master Sgt. Steven Doll, 8 SFS.

"When wartime rules of engagement are in place neutralizing the adversary would be the first priority."

No matter the careerfield, ever member of the Wolf Pack should understand the rules of engagement in peacetime and wartime.

"It is really important for the warfighter to know whether they are in peacetime or wartime," said Sergeant Doll. "That difference affects the ability to pull the trigger."