Ethical Challenges in Combat as Seen through One Warrior's Vision

Abstract

The War on Terror will keep us in combat zones for the duration of our careers. Senior NCOs must consistently maintain their ethics; it could ultimately be the difference between life and death in combat. Living by this code of ethics can be tough and hard to follow especially when you are behind the enemy lines, with limited resources, harsh environments and an unclear mission. Combat is stressful and unpredictable; this stress is doubled when Soldiers love ones look you in the face and say, "Bring him home the same way I gave him to you." The ethical challenge is agreeing to conditions which you have little or no control. The opposing thought is that bad things happen in combat, so just deal with it. Leaders should always know their capabilities when making decisions, especially in a combat zone. Leaders values guide ethical reasoning which guide success and failure on the battlefield.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 18, 2005
Accession Number
AD1139409

Entities

People

  • Edward A. Bell

Organizations

  • United States Army Sergeants Major Academy

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accountability
  • Battlefields
  • Environment
  • Fuel Trucks
  • Reasoning
  • Regulations
  • Standards
  • Students
  • Training
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Educational Psychology
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Military Leadership and Professional Education.