Military ethics are codes and standards that guide soldiers’ actions in battle, decision-making, and interactions with others. They vary by country and military, and are learned during training. Violating the code can lead to disciplinary action, and consequences vary by offense. Military ethics exist to create uniformity and promote trust among members. They vary by jurisdiction and reflect the ethics of the society or nation of which the military is a part.
Military ethics is a broad set of codes and standards, both written and understood, that members of the military are expected to uphold. They are usually designed to guide soldiers’ actions in battle, their decision-making in the field, and their interactions with others both in their chain of command and at home. Actually, defining these standards can be a bit tricky as they tend to vary a lot depending on the country and the military. Most militaries publish their “official” codes and train their personnel in how the standards are to be lived by. They can include anything from standards of leadership and the value of human life to appropriate sexual contact and other interpersonal details between soldiers and regimental members. Violating the code, even just perceptive, usually leads to some sort of disciplinary action.
Where are they learned
In most cases, servicemen and women learn the ethical standards that apply to their service as soon as they join the military. During military training, often called “boot camp,” there are certain ethical guidelines that are enforced and instilled in the members. Ideas about responsibility, honor, trust, accountability and loyalty are among the most common.
Service members learn what these ethics mean to their military, and are required to abide by them in most cases in order to remain on active duty. Sometimes the standards are clearly set out in a list or other table that new hires must memorize and repeat upon request, but the implications are usually much deeper and broader than mere facts to recite. In most cases, the goal is for these principles to actually govern and shape behavior. Military ethics are usually designed to become a part of military life and become habitual standards that servicemen and women live by.
Why do they exist?
One of the main reasons militaries adopt ethical standards and guides is to create uniformity not only in what soldiers do, but also when it comes to why they act. Codes are typically established to help servicemen and women adhere to a single defined standard of integrity, to ensure that conduct is legally permissible, and to promote trust among members. In many places ethical standards are encapsulated in “creeds,” which are poetic sayings that repeatedly remind a soldier of his necessary duties. Military creeds are considered dogma, which means they are authoritative and are not to be challenged. The creeds are also meant as a reminder that members of the military have an obligation never to dishonor their uniform or country.
Consequences of the violation
Ethics violations are generally treated quite seriously by military officers, although of course much depends on the nature of the offense and its impact. At a minimum, the offender is usually subject to reprimand; in extreme cases, he may suffer administrative consequences and may even be expelled from service. This is usually the case even if the violation wasn’t technically illegal: Within the military, the code often serves as the law, and violations can be dealt with by military courts with the same kind of reverence and weight. If the ethics that have been violated also result in criminal conduct, disciplinary action can extend to the military justice system, and members of the military can be held accountable for any criminal activity resulting from their action or inaction.
Jurisdictional differences
It is important to understand that military ethics vary from country to country. A serviceman’s ethics often reflect the same ethics of the society or nation of which the military is a part. For example, in the United States military, the core values or ethics by which members abide are loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage. These ethics form the acronym LDRSHIP, or “leadership.” However, this standard is by no means the same everywhere. Some codes of conduct that may be considered acceptable in one US military may seem unethical to another nation’s military system and vice versa.
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