Moral Courage or Heresy: The Benefits and Pitfalls of Military Leaders Speaking Out

Abstract

Thesis: Military leaders who allow their experience and loyalty to their oath guide their actions when speaking out in the proper forums for or against policies, strategies, or ideals can positively affect the welfare of the troops in the field and build a bridge with civilian leadership and the civilian population. Discussion: Today's battlefield is evolving. Every policy that is set forth and every decision that is made affects military professionals down to the rifleman. Sometimes situations evolve to a point to where they are not recognizable from the original starting point. This is where leadership decisions and policies must evolve, also. Unfortunately, there are times when this is not the case. It is up to military leaders to identify these instances and use moral courage and loyalty to their oath to confront these situations. The Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and Department of Defense Directives (DODD) set rules and guidelines that all uniformed professionals must follow when taking issue with bad decisions, outdated policies, or improper behavior of their elected officials. No matter what the cause, it must be scrutinized and, if the matter is flaw, it must be unveiled. However, some professionals take the wrong path to uncover these flaws. Name-calling, unsubstantiated accusations, and general unofficer-like behavior are unacceptable and must not be used. If it time to speak out, it is the duty of the professional military leader to expose flawed thinking and attempt to rectify the situation. Conclusion: Every military leader must put aside careerist goals and rank ambition in order to speak up for what is right. They must expose flawed policies, strategies, and decisions in order to possibly save the lives of our servicemen and protect the country.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2008
Accession Number
ADA491711

Entities

People

  • Jacob M. Matt

Organizations

  • Marine Corps University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Army Personnel
  • Congress
  • Court Martial
  • Employment
  • Families (Human)
  • Freedom Of Speech
  • Judicial Branch
  • Judicial Process
  • Judiciary
  • Law
  • Military Science
  • National Politics
  • National Security
  • Personnel Management
  • Supreme Court
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Educational Psychology
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.