First published 2017
This compilation presents five critical documents examining moral challenges facing today's military. The collection opens with analysis of declining professionalism in the Army officer corps, proposing remedies to restore ethical leadership. The Fort Leavenworth Ethics Symposium contributes expert perspectives on soldier-society relationships, veteran care, and moral injury. Topics range from traumatic stress factors to justice theories in post-conflict situations. Contributors examine ethical paradoxes, religious authority conflicts, and the tension between selfless service and personal interests. Brigadier General H.R. McMaster delivers key insights on maintaining moral standards against unscrupulous enemies. The symposium addresses practical concerns like force protection ethics, humanitarian operations, and character development for soldiers. Authors debate whether officers should participate in voting and explore competing loyalties in complex situations like Guantanamo. The compilation tackles persistent questions about military-civilian trust, veteran administration capabilities, and intelligence operations legitimacy. These discussions reveal the ongoing struggle to balance effective military action with ethical conduct, offering frameworks for navigating moral complexity in an era of continuous conflict.
Genres: political-science, non-fiction, military-history, academic
Vibes: thought-provoking
Tropes: moral-complexity
288 pages · Paperback · Independently Published