How do you make decisions between life and death in high-stakes, time-compressed, confused, and tension-filled conditions of combat? Especially when you don't have all the information you want to have. And when you might also be exhausted, terrified, angry, or grieving the loss of fallen comrades and friends? 

These are never the best conditions in which to make important decisions. And yet they may be the conditions in which you most often operate. 

So now what?

READ THIS

"Tomahawk Target: Collateral Damage" Captain Rick Rubel

WATCH THIS

The Bombing of Afghanistan

Before You come to class, think carefully through the questions at the end of "Tomahawk Target" and be prepared to defend what you believe you ought to do. In addition to those questions, it might be helpful to think through the following:

1. What are the benefits that come from striking the target? What are the negative consequences? Does the good obtained and the harm caused seem proportionate? 
2. What are the harms likely to come from not striking the target? How does that weight in to the cost-benefit analysis? 
3. Do the requirements of moral rules also require that our adversaries make following our rules possible? For instance, do you think it's a coincidence that an enemy ammunition dump happens to be located next to a church and boarding school? 
   1. Will not striking the target only encourage the enemy to continue placing high-value targets near innocent people? 
   2. How do we fight an enemy that shields themselves with kids?