What phrase best defines decisively engaged?

• A. When a unit is in reserve.
• B. When a fully committed force cannot maneuver or extricate itself.
• C. When a unit has achieved its objective and disengaged.
• D. When the enemy withdraws.

Answer: (B)

Decisively engaged means a unit is fully committed to battle and cannot maneuver or extricate itself with its current combat power. When a force has been pressed to the point of sustained, intense contact, its freedom of movement is restricted, and it can’t reliably withdraw or redeploy without outside help or taking heavy losses. That state signals that the unit is in a critical fight where its options are limited and a decisive outcome will follow from the engagement.

This fits best with a fully committed force that cannot maneuver or extricate itself. Being in reserve means the unit isn’t engaged at all. Achieving an objective and disengaging describes ending the fight after success. The enemy withdrawing describes the opponent’s action, not the condition of one’s own forces.