Rules of Engagement is a 2000 American mystery and wardrama film directed by William Friedkin and starring Tommy Lee Jones and Samuel L. Jackson. Jackson plays U.S. Marine Colonel Terry Childers, who is brought to courtmartial after men under Childers orders kill a large number of civilians outside the U.S. embassy in Yemen.
Operation Kingfisher, a disastrous American advance in the Vietnam War has 2nd Lt. Terry Childers Samuel L. Jackson executing an unarmed prisoner in order to intimidate a Vietnam Peoples Army officer into calling off an ambush of U.S. Marines. His act thereby saves the life of wounded 2nd Lt. Hays Hodges Tommy Lee Jones.In 1996, Col Hodges is about to retire from the Marine Corps, and is reminiscing about his years in uniform. As a result of wounds he sustained during Operation Kingfisher, Hodges could no longer continue as an infantry officer, so the Marine Corps have sent him to law school and he continued his career as a JAG officer. He subsequently enters the Camp Lejeune Officers Club, where numerous Marine officers wait to honor his service at a preretirement party. Hosting the event is his old friend, Col Terry Childers, who is now the commanding officer of a Marine Expeditionary Unit MEU. ........
Source: Wikipedia