Finding "the right way"

By Clark C. Barrett

Subjects: Moral and ethical aspects, Military ethics, Vocational guidance, Corporate culture, Decision making, Professional ethics, Armed Forces, United States, Conduct of life, United States. Army, Soldiers

Description: The ethical lapses exemplified by Abu Ghraib, Mahmudiyah (Blackhearts), and Maywand (5/2 Stryker) are distressing symptoms of an even bigger, and potentially devastating cultural shortcoming. The U.S. Army profession lacks an institutional ethical framework and a means of peer-to-peer self-governance. The frameworks the Army has may imply but they do not explicitly dictate an Army ethic. Other English-speaking nations' ethical constructs can inform the development of an Army Ethic which serves to protect our organizational and individual honor from moral and ethical lapses which do great harm to the institution, undermine the American public trust and hinder mission accomplishment. This study describes the problem, provides a review of literature, including current Army artifacts, partner nation military ethics, and necessary philosophical underpinnings. The study also addresses the importance of promulgation, non-toleration, and the necessity for the Army to act as a learning organization. Finally, the study supplies and justifies a proposed institutional and individual Army Ethic and means of promulgation, ethical decision-making and governance. The proposed Ethic replaces and integrates a number of disjointed and disconnected Army artifacts.