Part 1. Many more civilians, than military personel, are killed and wounded in Active Combat Zones. Also, many more civilians suffer from Combat PTSD (The PTSD one obtains from being in an Active Combat Zone). If a civilian supports one side of a conflict, and they are perceived as a threat or a potential threat by an armed force, then they are the "enemy". These civilians are often targeted by one of the armed forces. According to the Geneva Convention this is what makes them a "combatant". It is not that they are wearing green fatiques, or have the ability to defend themselves by having access to weapons that determines whether or not one is a combatant. It is whether or not 1) you are targeted and 2) you are at risk to be killed, 3) as an "enemy", by an armed force, 4) in an Active Combat Zone.