Ethical Decision-Making is Critical in Combat
Abstract
Ethical decision-making is critical in combat and requires leadership, values, and moral principles. Having served as a 1SG in combat it was easy to see how Soldiers can fall outside the lines. The lack of being able to identify the enemy adds to frustration and anxiety. The use of suicide bombs, improvised explosive devices, fear of the unknown, and guerilla tactics wear on a Soldiers moral beliefs and attitudes. Exposure to wounded comrades, women and children, civilian casualties, and heinous acts by cowardly insurgents inflame Soldiers passions. The perception of a lack of national support further erodes the will of the Soldier turning patriotic duty for the country, into a fight for self-preservation. When one loses faith with the ideology for which this country stands it destroys the moral fabric to make the right choices and muddies the water. Being a Soldier is honorable and the hardest occupation in the World requiring the highest of professional conduct. Soldiers endure the unimaginable, sacrifice more than most can fathom, and pay the ultimate price with their life. Countless men and women face the uncertainty with nothing more than the mere words of Duty, Honor, and Country in mind. So why is it that some Soldiers are capable of upholding the highest of standards of ethical conduct and others are not? This question has begun to eat away at the moral fabric of our profession.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 03, 2005
- Accession Number
- AD1143765
Entities
People
- Michael A. Mendoza
Organizations
- United States Army Sergeants Major Academy