Ethical Issues in the Awards Process
Abstract
Napoleon is often credited with saying that with a few ribbons, he could incite his men to perform great feats of valor in distinguishing themselves upon the battlefield. All sources agree that in the context of Napoleons quote, he was commenting on a maxim of good leadership: that there is tremendous value to be had as a leader in granting proper recognition for the blood and sweat given beyond ordinary expectations by the members of a military unit. Conversely, the failure by leadership to properly recognize and physically demonstrate the extent to which they truly care about their soldiers can have a corrosive effect upon a units morale. We have all experienced ourselves or observed instances when Soldiers havent been properly recognized by their chain of command. Based upon my experience, these instances of injustice reflect a generally low level of leadership quality and more often than not, such behavior is also associated with poor ethical qualities displayed by the units leadership. The overall effect negatively impacts a units morale, spirit de corps, and vigor in pursuit of mission success in the Global War on Terror (GWOT) and degrades a commanders effectiveness.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 03, 2008
- Accession Number
- AD1111995
Entities
People
- Robert W. Jr Latham
Organizations
- United States Army Sergeants Major Academy