The Moral Domain of War: A View From the Cockpit
Abstract
This study uses Brig Gen J. F. C. Fuller's theory of war to investigate the motivation of pilots flying in combat. The study holds the physical and cognitive domains of war variables constant and analyzes the moral domain effects on pilot behavior. Vietnam-era F-105 pilots serve as the case study. A pilot combat motivation model based on Fuller's theory served as the framework for a survey. This survey, sent to 236 F-lO5 veterans, functioned as a vehicle to obtain data. The veterans returned 173 surveys for a 73.3 percent response rate. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) analyzed the data and determined the validity of the model. Other empirical evidence, such as unit end of tour reports, flight surgeon aeromedical evaluations, and monographs written by the pilots during the war, helped verify findings. The results of this study strongly indicate that the proposed pilot combat motivation model explains pilot behavior in combat and suggests areas for future study.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1993
- Accession Number
- ADA424919
Entities
People
- Walter A. Grady Jr
Organizations
- Air University