You're on a 6-hour movement through dense woods. 2 hours in, your teammate takes a bad step and rolls their ankle. Can't put weight on it. You're in an area with spotty cell service.
What do you do?
Here's the framework I teach:
1. **Stop and assess** — Is it a sprain or a break? Can they splint and hobble, or do you need to evac?
2. **Communicate** — Send your location to someone who knows your route before you lose signal.
3. **Decision point** — Push through to the objective or turn back? The answer depends on distance remaining, daylight, and injury severity.
Most people freeze at step 3 because they never thought about it beforehand.
What's your call — push or turn back? Why?