Personal Moral Compass

The Brigade will advocate its commitment to the Army’s core values by focusing on Honor, Personal Courage, and Duty because these three values summarize what an ethical warrior must be. The other Army’s values remain important but focusing on three will bring clarity and simplicity. Honor is a “code of personal integrity.” This code ties the Army to the Nation. It is of course the soldiers’ honor to risk their lives to defend the nation. But it is also their honor to fight in accordance with American values. The US Army’s ethical warriors fight their enemies with determination, but respect. Acts of crime, misconduct, and ethical breaches

In the United States Army we are taught to live by the Seven Army Values. They are broken down to us in the acronym ‘LDRSHIP’ which is short for Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity and Personal Courage. We are all taught these 7 Army values repeatedly from day one in the United States Army. First we memorize these values. Then we are trained to live by them. All of these 7 values coincide with each other, and play an important roll in our Army lives. These 7 Army Values also play well into life outside the Army in our personal life. People sometimes do not realize the importance these values have on the way we are viewed by the people who look up to the men and woman who are privileged enough to represent the

Ethical Dilemmas facing today Army Leaders demands that Soldiers adhere to Army ethical standards at all times. One understanding the whole concept of ethical behavior comes from believing right is right and wrong is wrong or good versus evil. In my opinion, we cannot consider good or bad within the Army profession outside its framework of norm behavior. The Army teaches Soldiers that our forces are protectors to enhance good life throughout the world and whatever we destroy degrades the ability of evil to survive. One of the main issues I have faced during my 28 years is how senior leaders function within the organization.

Talking about the defining moment of personal moral challenge, I had one experience facing challenge related to my moral code before. While I was at my elementary school, I was kind of person that trusted everyone without any other thoughts. I just simply believed what other said to me, and was not dare or dislike to reject other’s request. Once there was a classmate and also friend of mine tried to borrow some money from me. He said that his mom was having some financial problems and he and his sister were in bad condition. I knew that his family was a single family and I therefore went to the

A Soldiers’ moral demeanor must reflect beliefs and principles, not just fear of chastisement from each other. Over time, Soldiers adhere to dedication to the oath and the Army values because they want to live virtuously and truly confine in them because they feel it is a reflective of themselves and who they represent. When people believe and practice the Army values, they become

Ethics is a comprehension of the way of contentions emerging from good goals and how best we may manage those (Noble, 2007). Morals does not choose what is ethically right or wrong; rather it considers how we ought to act better in the light of our obligations and commitments as moral agents (Noble, 2007). We are all molded by our own encounters, recollections, feelings, and learning influencing our observations, thinking and judgment of individuals and circumstances. These elements contribute to a person’s worldview, professional philosophy, and moral compass- the ability to judge wrong and right and act accordingly. The purpose of this paper is to describe this author’s professional moral compass, which is coordinated by different inspirations, interests, and values.

The army is grounded in the concept of protecting human rights, with the use of lethal force, but only when necessary. (CG TRADOC, 2010, p.11) This is accomplished by following moral judgment, adapting to operational context, and instilling professional values and virtues. (CG TRADOC, 2010, p.13) To continue to meet aspersions of professionalism four basic responsibilities to moral values must remain constant. These require a clear understanding of the value of the operation, the threat posed by the enemy, the permissible moral cost to us and the enemy, and a clear vision of what winning is. (CG TRADOC, 2010, p.13) Following the four responsivities allows a Soldier to properly view the principal use of force and the concepts of necessity, discrimination, and proportionality. (CG TRADOC, 2010, p.14) Although there are many pieces of this puzzle they must all be working in unison or there will be split from what is morally right, causing the actions of the individual and the organization to drift away from the professionalism that is required. When these pieces are working together a Soldier will have a clear idea of self-command, empathy, and moral pride; versus when these pieces diverge a Soldier will begin to struggle to find their moral compass and embody these additional traits. (CG TRADOC, 2010,

The American military prides itself on its devotion to loyalty, honor, brotherhood, and patriotism. Those in the military place the lives of their fellow men and country above all else. It is the most intense example of selflessness and self-sacrifice. This extended commitment to God and country is made possible through codes, vows, and unquestioned obedience. If a lieutenant is given an order, he will follow through with it because the lives of countless depend on his obedience. A soldier’s actions always contribute to the overall action of the military and work towards the greater good. If an order is questioned and not obeyed, the lives of those in his squadron will be endangered

Army Doctrine Reference Publication 1-0 states, “living by and upholding the moral principles of the Army Ethic” is the foundation to our profession. An organization cannot survive if there are no foundation for morals. The organization will internally implode. This is a critical fact for the Army. Individuals that do not have a foundation that aligns with the Army’s foundation is detrimental to the organization. The purpose for this short paper is to explore the fundamentals of our profession; examine the need for structure; how to return to basics of the profession; who needs to enforce standards; finally, implementing a culture change within the Army. Army leaders have categorized the four problems that currently plague the Army

In 1865, President Lincoln issued reassurance to those skeptical about the Civil War: "With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in." President Lincoln’s statement illustrates how the former Commander in Chief indisputably believed in the war and that the Union was doing what was ethically right. At that time, not all Union citizens and soldiers were fully committed to the Civil War. For the Union to coagulate, and commit towards doing what is morally right, they first needed a morally courageous leader to guide them. Similar to President Lincoln during the Civil War, Army leaders are expected make ethical decisions, even when those decisions are unpopular with their soldiers.

Live up to all the Army values. What is life without honor? Degradation is worse than death. – Lieutenant General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson Honor provides the “moral compass” for character and personal conduct in the Army. Though many people struggle to define the term, most recognize instinctively those with a keen sense of right and wrong, those who live such that their words and deeds are above reproach. Honor is demonstrating an understanding of what is right and taking pride in that reputation means this: Live up to all the Army values. Implicitly, that is what you promised when you took your oath of office or enlistment. You made this promise publicly, and the standards—Army values are also public. To be an honorable person, you must be true to your oath and live Army values in all you do. Leaders who demonstrate honor Live up to Army values and never lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those actions by others.

The culture and climate of a well-disciplined unit should be apparent by its strong core values and attributes displayed by its unit members. Recruiting and processing qualified applicants with good moral values and strong character traits is where it starts. In addition, Basic Combat Training (BCT) further strengthens a Soldier’s moral fiber, focuses on building strong leadership skills, and instills the core values of the Army. The Army needs “standard bearers,” not Soldiers and Leaders who choose the easy wrong over the hard right. Providing proper training and honest feedback will create competence in our military ethics. We need Soldiers and Leaders of strong character that will teach, coach, and mentor the next generation of leaders. A positive command climate and demanding culture is the substance of developing unit cohesion and esprit de corps. Army ethics will continue to struggle if it does not have leaders at every level to enforce the importance of its core values and principles. A strong culture and positive climate play a vital role in shaping our force for the future.

If we do know have a compass it is so easy to get lost. Consequences of not carrying a compass would be get hurt and lost. It is the same thing being a leader; we have to have a moral compass. As Mirk (2009) stated, “It was clear from these discussions that integrity is essential not only in setting the course on strategic issues but also in addressing the tough, unforeseen challenges that school leaders face almost daily”(p. 18-23). There should be integrity in everyday life in decision and in relationship with our team members. I think there is a line between right and wrong. It is hard to find what is right and wrong in this culture however we have to find the true north and have to follow that star. Code of ethics and moral compass should strengthen each other’s weakness in order to create a work environment where everyone trusts each other and work cooperatively.

There is no such thing as “absolute good” but “good for”. Whenever I meet my defining moment, I think about the question, “Whose good should I be serving?” I am not saying to evaluate whose interests are more valuable, but to evaluate whose interests are more important TO ME. There are three principles for me to evaluate different interests. The first is the interest’s indirect impact on the third party. For example, the police are investigating a theft and I know who the thief is. I must

Combating in modern warfare does not simply mean killing the enemy. There are ethical rules and standards of behavior that soldiers must strictly follow because these rules are essential for defeating the enemy, winning "hearts and minds" of potential allies, and maintain the morale of the troops. These tasks have become especially challenging in the face of the proliferation of guerilla warfare that has been adopted by weaker military forces in the twentieth- and twenty-first centuries. In fighting insurgencies, abiding by the ethical standards of the Army behavior may be even harder than in fighting conventional battles. The ethical rules may sometimes put the soldiers in dangerous positions. Disregarding the acceptable standards of behavior, however, may have even graver consequences, putting innocent non-combatants at risk and risking total demoralization of the Army unit participating in disorderly behavior. It is therefore essential that Army leaders maintain an ethical command climate during the war.