Which term means the inherent right to defend oneself, subunits, and other US forces against hostile act or intent?

• A. Hostile Act
• B. Hostile Intent
• C. Self Defense
• D. Deterrence

Answer: (C)

Self-defense is the inherent right to defend oneself, subunits, and other US forces against hostile act or intent. This means you may use necessary and proportional force to counter an actual attack or to stop an imminent, clearly dangerous plan or capability to attack. In military doctrine, the right to self-defense is triggered by either a hostile act (an actual attack or armed action) or hostile intent (a high likelihood and immediacy of an attack). Deterrence, by contrast, is about preventing aggression through threat or demonstration of capability and resolve; it does not justify responding to an ongoing or imminent threat in the moment. A hostile act describes what has already begun, while hostile intent is about an imminent threat that hasn’t yet materialized; neither alone grants the immediate defensive authority the way self-defense does.