What do non-combatants do when under attack or an ambush?

This has been purely theoretical on my part, so I can’t speak from experience.

As chaplains are non-combatants, we are not authorized to carry sidearms or rifles. Now, some have. Navy Chaplain and Medal of Honor recipient Capodonno carried one in Vietnam, but he never used it. When the bullets hit, he was tending to the wounded, and was actually killed dragging a wounded Marine out of the fight to get to an aid station.

On the other hand, I’ve heard of an Army chaplain who got the Slver Star for directing his units fire in a combat situation.....he also got court-martialed for participating offensively in a fight (I.e. carrying and using a weapon).

Course, most chaplains and medics are in the field with a combat unit in circumstances similar to what you’re describing. Some may run and hide, other may do a Desmond Doss....

Since I’m not Army, I can’t answer that aspect. But in the Navy, on ships in combat, chaplains (only non-combatants I can actually speak for) are stationed in sickbay during general quarters. Or, you get guys like Chaplain O’Callahan, Medal of Honor in WWII, who did things from rescuing trapped crewmen to directing disposal of ordinance over the side of the ship so it wouldn’t blow up (USS Franklin during Okinawa, took several kamikaze hits).

So, wide range of answers. Individual s embedded with a combat arms unit would (maybe) do differently than a combat support unit. Sorry, I’m not terribly familiar with Army terminology there.

I guess the answers vary as widely as it does for individuals in a combat arms unit....what does any individual do when in combat?

Based on your follow up response, it seems that you are confusing non-combat arms with non-combatant. As mentioned already non-combatants are Soldiers like medics and chaplains.

Normally they DIE!, Non-combatants normally have no weapons, so they make like Rabbits and hope to live, while we die buying them time to escape.

It depends on their function and the situation. Generally, our procedure (I drove fuel trucks) was punch it and get out of the area. The supplies getting where they needed to go was more important than chasing them down.

Although I was trained as an infantry officer, the Army saw fit to place me in a non-combat role (Adjutant) and suffer the humiliation (and guilt) of seeing my classmates march into the face of enemy fire while I fought the red tape. I was infuriated when I saw senior officers, whenever displeased, threatening junior enlisted with reassignment to a combat platoon as punishment for minor infractions. (BTW, many of the enlisted assigned to our division headquarters were twice-wounded in combat) One of our Admin Co commanders (reassigned there after botching an action in combat) made no secret of his disdain for the men in his new command. One day, one of our vehicles became disabled while attempting to return to the div hq base camp just about sunset and he had no clue as to what to do. I offered to round up some volunteers to go and secure the vehicle until morning and his sneer clearly demonstrated that I wouldn't find any. Well, the word quickly spread and when he walked out the door of his office, he found me performing a weapons inspection on a long, long line of volunteers. Everybody, including cooks armed with M-16's and butchers knives, had answered the call. Thankfully, he shut up until reassigned.

Assuming that what you mean is non-combat arms MOSs vs actual non-combatants - that have specific roles and limitations under the Geneva Conventions - you shoot back.
Everything is situation-based, but if you can you gain fire superiority and bug out to conserve your forces. If unable to withdraw, you fight to defeat the enemy attacking you. If unable to defeat the enemy with what you have, you try to at least fight them to a stalemate until the QRF can get to you.

We are in a war with enemies that just love to go after CS and CSS guys because they are softer targets. Best be ready when and if they come looking for you.

A bullet knows no MOS.

I am sorry but this question is hilarious. Non combat roles? In war? You are given the fundamentals in BCT of how to be a soldier first. Your MOS comes second. Your a trained fighting machine regardless what your job duty is. We are not trained to "withdraw". I hope and pray I am not deployed with soldiers with this type question in their minds.