This movie is an excellent depiction of what may happen during actual wartime. The military always is forced to deal with extreme survival situations especially in the battlefield. Each member of the military is expected to trust one another to ensure survival of the whole team. Despite needing to preserve the entire personal, the American army in Black Hawk Down follows a strict no man left behind policy. The General of the Army makes it completely clear that despite all odds, no man shall be left behind. This policy is not taken lightly and it is well exemplified through the actions of Sergeant Hoot, Eversmann and the entire personal of the US Army.

To start off, soldiers in the military are trained to deal with any possible situation that may arise in combat. Especially in an African environment, the conditions for soldiers in the movie, Black Hawk Down, were extremely harsh. They were forced to deal with the desert heat, and had to be cautious of the entire Somalian population in Mogadishu. There were hostile rebel groups amongst the population led by warlords who possessed a dangerous level of firepower. Despite these conditions, the military personal had not been in direct contact with the enemy and many soldiers, (Sergeant Eversmann), had never even fired upon another person before. This is why during the infiltration many soldiers were confused and were not prepared to deal with a high level of resistance. No amount of training can prepare them for every single situation on the battlefield. They may have to fire upon children even and have to deal with losing comrades and friends.

While prioritizing on the mission at hand, it was made clear that the soldiers valued their lives before the initial mission. The mission quickly turned into pursuing any fallen soldiers on the battlefield, and as a result, many more soldiers were killed in action. I believe that it is completely necessary to first preserve the life of an entire military force. Logically speaking, it makes much more sense, to leave fallen comrades and push through to complete the mission. This may or may not preserve the lives of more soldiers. Morally speaking, this is not the general course of action that must be taken. Of course it is important to complete the mission and push through despite losing people. But I believe the only way to preserve a military force is by valuing each life at equal value. Not man should be expendable. Each man must be cherished. This is why in my eyes, it makes sense to save as many as you can in battle. Fight like hell and don’t give up until you are completely drained of life. However, it is true that you can’t save every man. Some men will get injured and will die, that is simply out of our control. It is important to try your hardest to ensure the safety of your life and the lives of the people around you. The mission comes after that.

Source : BLACK HAWK DOWN (2001)