Introduction The military is a very complex and diverse place of work in the United States. The Code of Conduct in the military is one of the most important documents that an armed forces member whether it be civilian or military has to read and follow. In this essay there will be a discussion on the armed forces’ Code of Conduct. Morals and ethics in the military will also be discussed in this essay. As Dr. Jim Tonor states (2000), “ethics is not for sissies.” In the military individuals are encouraged to have leadership and followership throughout their military career. The military is the choice, if one wants to build strong trusting relationships or earn the respect of their subordinates (Phillips, 1992).
Following Orders in the …show more content…
The code of conduct is put up for one to obey, and while it might not be a moral compass of one’s military career, it is an ethical compass. This is where the training from the military plays a role. The type of military organization determines the virtue ethics that align with their military ethics (Moelker & Olsthoorn, 2007). Virtue ethics have an emphasis on character building, which provides a better understanding for how one can learn military ethics. Developing virtues is seen as the best way to prevent a military member who will think they are superior to the rules or the military codes of conduct (Moelker & Olsthoorn, 2007). Being able to develop virtue ethics will help a military person to decipher the moral judgments in most cases. There are many elements of virtue ethics, but the two main ones that are important to military personnel are courage and integrity (Moelker & Olsthoorn, 2007). Courage and integrity are both highly regarded when serving as a military member. Dealing with the articles of the Code of Conduct, one must have courage and integrity in a time of war as Article IV and V state about the possibility of one becoming a prisoner of war (Defense.gov, …show more content…
The term morals generally refers to the differences between right and wrong in any situation (Alavudeen, et al, 2008). On the other hand, ethics refers to more about military ethics or a code of professional ethics such as abstract principles or an ethical theory (Alavudeen, et al, 2008). Many view military members as ethical warriors who try to keep their morals and emotions separate from what they are doing for their country (Durward, 2011). Even though one can have great ethics while being in the military, immoral behavior can have a strategic effect on others around that individual (Robinson, 2007). Even though one can be a “super soldier” or a phenomenal officer while on duty, their out-of-work lives could have an effect on others around them (Robinson, 2007). Morals in the military and life are extremely important for an individual to have. An example of having a moral conflict of an order is if a superior officer tells an individual to directly shoot someone without the other being using deadly force. If one is taught that they must be “moral” and that their institution demands and upholds the highest standards no matter what they are, this could hinder others because the individual would think they are morally better than others (Robinson,
Following Orders in the …show more content…
The code of conduct is put up for one to obey, and while it might not be a moral compass of one’s military career, it is an ethical compass. This is where the training from the military plays a role. The type of military organization determines the virtue ethics that align with their military ethics (Moelker & Olsthoorn, 2007). Virtue ethics have an emphasis on character building, which provides a better understanding for how one can learn military ethics. Developing virtues is seen as the best way to prevent a military member who will think they are superior to the rules or the military codes of conduct (Moelker & Olsthoorn, 2007). Being able to develop virtue ethics will help a military person to decipher the moral judgments in most cases. There are many elements of virtue ethics, but the two main ones that are important to military personnel are courage and integrity (Moelker & Olsthoorn, 2007). Courage and integrity are both highly regarded when serving as a military member. Dealing with the articles of the Code of Conduct, one must have courage and integrity in a time of war as Article IV and V state about the possibility of one becoming a prisoner of war (Defense.gov, …show more content…
The term morals generally refers to the differences between right and wrong in any situation (Alavudeen, et al, 2008). On the other hand, ethics refers to more about military ethics or a code of professional ethics such as abstract principles or an ethical theory (Alavudeen, et al, 2008). Many view military members as ethical warriors who try to keep their morals and emotions separate from what they are doing for their country (Durward, 2011). Even though one can have great ethics while being in the military, immoral behavior can have a strategic effect on others around that individual (Robinson, 2007). Even though one can be a “super soldier” or a phenomenal officer while on duty, their out-of-work lives could have an effect on others around them (Robinson, 2007). Morals in the military and life are extremely important for an individual to have. An example of having a moral conflict of an order is if a superior officer tells an individual to directly shoot someone without the other being using deadly force. If one is taught that they must be “moral” and that their institution demands and upholds the highest standards no matter what they are, this could hinder others because the individual would think they are morally better than others (Robinson,