While attempting to make contact, the patrol accidentally splits into a group of five soldiers heading to the road to hijack a vehicle and a group of three soldiers heading through the desert. Several days of travel later, seven of the soldiers have either died of hypothermia, been killed or been captured.
The patrol's separation resulted in two distinct groups: one focused on hijacking and another traveling through the desert.  Over time, this split led to a significant loss of life for the group.