# I'm a US servicemember tasked with evacuating civilians in an untenable situation. May I surrender?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-us-servicemember-tasked-with-evacuating-civilians-in-an-untenable-situation-may-i-surrender/546001>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [July 8, 2010, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-us-servicemember-tasked-with-evacuating-civilians-in-an-untenable-situation-may-i-surrender/546001 "2010-07-08T19:26:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2010, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-us-servicemember-tasked-with-evacuating-civilians-in-an-untenable-situation-may-i-surrender/546001/41 "2010-07-23T02:16:49Z")

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> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#):
>
> Let’s just say it was George Washington. No, make that Patton. Some dead white dude, anyway.

Eisenhower Administration in 1955.

> [@](#):
>
> If the group finds itself cornered by a superior force–and Captain America is nowhere in sight–may I legally order my two remaining subordinates to surrender? May I do so ethically? Honorably? Why or why not?

I will do everything I can do not fight the hypotheticals and just take your scenario as given.

No. You may not _order_ your subordinates to surrender in this situation. Nor should you. They are healthy, and they are armed. All three of you have the means to resist. This would not be a lawful order, and they would be under no obligation to obey you. You could, however, convince them it is the right thing to do given the circumstances and then all go through with it together. At that point, it doesn’t really matter what rules or laws were broken, you’re dead. So who cares.

Ethically or Honorably? Well, you are basically asking if it is ethically okay to sacrifice your own life and that of your Soldiers for the safety of some unknown number of civilians. I think it’s definitely an honorable action, but as far as ethical? It would depend on the number of civilians whose lives would be saved, and ultimately it would depend on their treatment once captured. Are they going to be treated well and eventually released? Or what exactly?

It’s not about having the means to _win_. It’s about having the means to resist. You even have a decent defensive position inside of a building. Now, if the enemy closes in on you to where you are face to face _and_ surrounded, you may consider yourself captured which is different from surrendering. Your scenario is not that of captured personnel but that of Soldiers with the means to fight. They should fight until such time as they can no longer resist the enemy.

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