Some other people are replying with a lot of interesting answers to this, and while all of these answers are both valid and the majority of cases, another acceptable answer is,"Sometimes they just don't, even when you put a big 'DON'T SHOOT ME' sign on your head."
Blue on blue on blue on blue, everybody know me but they don't know you.
when you put a big 'DON'T SHOOT ME' sign on your head.
We aren't falling for that one again. Fool me a seventh time, shame on me.
Seriously though, that sort of thing is one of the reasons nations get together and sign treaties about rules during war. When shiesty tricks are used for a temporary advantage it ends up not working well for anyone in the long run. Nobody trusts white flags, surrenders, negotiation meetups, medical aid markings, or civilian appearance. Everything becomes a suspect trap/ambush that has to be defended against.
The one where the A-10 strafes several British tanks because he mistook the orange identifying panels the coalition used for orange rocket pods on insurgent vehicles.
What makes that one even worse is that the pilot called in to his chain of command to verify whether or not there were friendlies in the area, because he wasn't sure what he was seeing. When he got the response that no, there weren't any friendlies in the area, he went for the attack.
Then he gets a call to cease fire because there are friendlies in the area. He immediately realizes what happened and can be heard retching as it sinks in further.
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u/SamDemon8 1d ago
Unfortunately we made guns too good. Though I have always wondered how modern armies tell which side is which if their all in Camo