"We are just patrolling around," one American soldier told a regional media outlet outside an oil station under control of joint US-Kurdish forces in a rare interview from the ground. It underscores that in the absence of detailed orders other than to take oil fields in the Deir Ezzor and Hasakah regions, there's continued confusion over just what exactly the overall objectives are, or even who is the enemy. 

"US military commanders overseeing Syria operations are still waiting for precise battlefield orders from the White House and Pentagon on their exact mission to protect oilfields in eastern Syria, according to a defense official directly familiar with the matter," CNN reported over the weekend.

Crucially, it's as yet unclear what the Pentagon response would be should Russia or Syrian national forces approach the oil fields which Damascus sees as part of its sovereign territory.