A Marine squad leader shares his account of a critical decision made during the 2004 Battle of Najaf, when his unit encountered armed teenagers in a mosque compound. The episode examines the split-second moral calculus between tactical necessity and ethical constraints, walking through the precise sequence of events that led to a life-altering choice. Our hosts analyze both the operational context of urban warfare in sacred spaces and the lasting psychological impact of decisions made under extreme pressure, while exploring how military training both prepares and fails to prepare soldiers for such scenarios.

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