Scenario: No One Will Ever Know

Group Size: 4-15

Scenario

You are a Section Commander of an eight-person, two-vehicle patrol responsible for securing a rural route through your unit’s Area of Responsibility (AOR). You look on in horror as the lead vehicle suddenly erupts into flames, the noise and shock wave hitting you an instant later. You rush to the scene to assist the casualties and secure the site. You immediately see that one member is dead, one is seriously injured, and, surprisingly, the other two are only disorientated by the blast.

As you are assessing the crash site, your two-person security team, who secured the immediate surrounding area, call you over to their location. When you arrive, you see that they have captured an individual who was also knocked unconscious by the explosion. Clearly, he had underestimated the power of his Improvised Explosive Device (IED). He has in his possession a rifle, a rucksack full of explosives, a notebook with instructions on the manufacture and placement of IEDs, and a triggering device. The patrol wants to kill him in retribution for the death of their friend.

Categories

• Principles: Respect the Dignity of all Persons, Obey and Support Lawful Authority
• Values: Integrity, Courage, Stewardship, Excellence
• Cultural themes: Service, Identity, Leadership, Teamwork
• Misconduct types: General Misconduct
• GBA Plus themes: Culture, Disability, Geography, Race/Ethnicity
• Audience: Canadian Armed Forces

Facilitator’s Guide

Learning Objectives

• Discuss the ethical obligations of “Respect the Dignity of all Persons” and “Obey and Support Lawful Authority” in an operational setting.
• Discuss the ethical values of integrity, courage and loyalty and the ethos expected behaviour of duty in an operational setting.

Facilitation Questions

1. What would you do in this situation? What are the considerations?
   • Allow open discussion from the group.
   • Ethical concerns: Your troops want to commit murder.
   • Personal factors: Personally, you feel the same anger, however, as a leader, you must not fall prey to the same irrational emotions.
   • Environmental factors: One soldier is dead, and another is injured. You have caught the suspected bomber with incriminating evidence. Two of your troops are very angry. You do not know what the other three soldiers are thinking.
2. What is the ethical dilemma in this situation? 
   • This is a right and wrong situation; it is an integrity dilemma.
   • As a leader, it is your responsibility to maintain law and order. You must stop your patrol from acting on a purely emotional basis and seek revenge for a fallen soldier.
3. What are some potential courses of action that could be taken in this scenario?
   • Option 1: Intervene, stop your troops from committing murder and do not address the incident further. Your troops will be unhappy with the decision, and this may lead to tension and decreased morale. As well, there may be troops in the section who are looking for direction from you as a leader.
   • Option 2: Intervene and stop the murder. Once back at camp, you address the incident with your troops and file a report with your chain of command. However, you should be aware that this option could have repercussions in the form of disciplinary actions.