red card

Definition

A card carried by troops listing restrictions on rules of engagement, often limiting when they can fire. The military equivalent of your mom saying 'don't start fights' before sending you to school.

Example Usage

According to the red card, we can only engage if directly fired upon in this sector.

Origin

Peacekeeping and counterinsurgency operations, named for the card's color

Fun Fact

Red cards became controversial when troops felt overly restricted while facing threats, leading to dangerous hesitation.

Source: Rules of engagement and peacekeeping operations

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Advanced

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