Ethics In The Army Essay Samples

This paper talks about why it is important to be ethical in the Army and discusses why the seven army values are important. When you think about the nature of the military, and in particular the army, you realize how important behaving with ethics and dignity are. One main reason why it is important to be ethical in the army is because military operations construct scenarios in which all members of any team-unit must depend upon each other. If certain army members cannot be trusted to do their parts, in terms of performance of his or her duties, then lives may be at risk when the team needs to act in real-life war situations. In other words, it is important to act in accordance with ethical behavior because all team members in any given unit are trusting their lives with each other. If one or two people behave in an unethical manner, the other unit members of the team cannot trust their honesty in any area of function. For example, if the team has a certain ration of food in the cafeteria or in their packs, to demonstrate endurance and health during an exercise, one person who steals or eats more food than the rest is undermining progress. When progress is undermined by lack of honesty, even if an individual is promoted to a higher rank, his or her leadership capabilities will always be endangered and at risk.
Also, it is important to be ethical in the army because character matters. Every area of performance and trustworthiness requires a good and honest sense of integrity, in order to properly and adequately train for a disciplined lifestyle. If someone fails to pay attention to army protocols of discipline and integrity values, whether in the context of Basic Combat Training, or other exercise preparation, weaknesses in discipline will damage team capabilities. A huge part of integrity determines the mental strength and clarity of mind. Even if a person in the army believes that he or she has gotten away with doing something unethical, at this point, a compromised condition of the mindset has occurred. For example, psychological distractions can perpetuate bad outcomes in death-or-life situations. If a person has demonstrated an uncaring sense of laziness, or inattentiveness to conducting themselves in a manner of loyalty and honesty during training, they will have a difficult time changing their character during a real battle situation. We live in dangerous and perilous times, and when a person enlisted in the army behaves in an unethical manner, it damages the morale and effectiveness of the whole team. When others have worked so hard and diligently to be ethical person, the unethical slacker demonstrates qualities of a selfish and dishonorable mode of thinking. Discipline and good moral ethics begin from within. It is important to adopt ethical practices in the army, also, out of respect for all the men and women who lost their lives, dying in battle, whose memories have scarred the happiness forever of the loved ones left behind.
Another reason why it is important for individuals to be ethical in the army is because the missions and lifestyles must be merged into one drive – a single sense of obligation, which strengthens morale, builds trust and cohesiveness among military members, and provides a basis for habits that improve army efficiency and effectiveness across the board. A good way to understand how important it is to be ethical in the army is to think about the seven codes and values that create a basis for the Army Soldier’s Creed, in the first place. The seven army values are very important for a variety of reasons. Each aspect of the seven key points of the army values, relate to a mindset of embracing honorable conduct and placing it above personal selfishness. Also, there is a good reason why the seven army values form the acronym LDRSHIP because a good leader, particularly in the military, is a person who has learned to get down into the sweat and functions of a disciplined military lifestyle along with everybody else. A leader, in other words, is not above other army members in working hard although he or she may hold a higher rank. The first of seven army values, loyalty, shows and reflects the allegiance given to the unit and the military organization. Once again, the question is: Can you be trusted? Loyalty proves the internal integrity of a person’s heart and mind and is important because loyalty can be considered the foundation of ethical behavior. Loyalty speaks to one’s professionalism. Along with professionalism, this loyalty shows maturity and a true dedication to missions and morale. The second quality, of the seven army values, is called duty. Duty has a strong link to loyalty, because quite honestly every person has a duty to act beyond his or her self in life, even if they are not in the military. Military personnel hold a special sense of duty, and in terms of ethical protocol must treat the obligation seriously because any actions taken are unequivocally attached to all the team-mates around you. Duty is important because the standards and practices of army life and professionalism demand uniformity in obeying commands, and lawful orders.
The third of seven army values, respect, is a critical factor of being ethical in the army. The reason why respect is so key bears a heavy weight of dignity. Self-respect and dignity towards others raises army attitudes overall in the way people around you are treated. Respect dictates the need to be ethical because everyone has feelings, and when respect is given to consider the other guy’s (or gals) well-being moral can be very high. Selfless service, as the fourth of seven army values, speaks to the need and willingness to pay the ultimate sacrifice if need be. Maybe a fellow warrior has been hurt in an exercise or real war-battle, and it would be critically important to demonstrate selfless service to give him water or attend to his wounds – even if you yourself are bleeding. Honor cannot be something a person recites or studies. The code of honor, as the fifth of seven army values, is important because it demonstrates a personal covenant and commitment to the military unit and behavior towards foreigners’ as being present in their lands. Integrity, and personal courage form the concluding rubric of the seven army values. Integrity starts from inside the heart and mind, and reflects doing the right thing no matter what. If a commander does not see you being ethical, integrity wins regardless. Personal courage is no easy feat, but this final of the seven army values rises to a sense of behaving fearless when the situation calls for it. Feeling fear is human, acting fearless is a necessity when contending against an enemy.
In terms of personal courage, this quality amid the seven army values cannot be taught or regulated. Personal courage is important because it pulls all the other values together, and helps soldiers and military team members in the army to make heroic decisions in moments of conflict and intensity. The reason why personal courage is so critically important, is because situations will arise in which split-second decisions will require a soldier to act in a manner that goes against the ‘normal’ civilian mindset. Personal courage is like an invisible suit of armor, not military-issue or army issued, but a quality of ethics a person wears on the interior of their soul. The motivation that comes from the determination, and demonstration, of personal courage might mean you carry a village child or elder to safety, when dodging hostile fire from enemy lines when the little kid or gray-haired person is reaching out for your help to get help, or have a chance for safety.
In conclusion, the reasons why it is important to be ethical in the army revolves around many different aspects. No matter what language people speak, when encountering and communicating with fellow army soldiers and enlisted or civilian families in foreign lands – something about ethics shines through. The reason why the seven army values are so important also, is because they provide specific and concrete guidelines for military enlisted to strive for in terms of improvement. It is immeasurably important to be ethical in the army, and adhere to the seven army values because at the end of the day one’s personal morals are an extension of one’s ethics and any lack thereof can have devastating effects on others, while reflecting disgraceful and unprofessional behavior.

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