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United States Army Combined Arms Center

Unclassified

CGSC Ethics Symposium Read Ahead Command and General Staff College

(CGSC) Ethics Symposium (5-8 May, FLKS) Center for the Army Profession and Ethic (CAPE)

6 May 2014 Center for Army Profession and Ethic CAPE.ARMY.MIL Mission Command Center of Excellence

Unclassified Visit us at usacac.army.mil

AMERICA’S ARMY: OUR PROFESSION – STAND STRONG

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cape.army.mil 5/2/14

Problem Statement The Army Profession does not have an articulated, accessible, and commonly understood Army Ethic, motivating Honorable Service, guiding and inspiring right decisions and actions.

Vision The Army Ethic: Informs and inspires Army Professionals in making right decisions and taking right actions in the performance of duty and in all aspects of their lives.

Mission

Promulgate the Army Ethic in order to strengthen Identity, drive Character Development and reinforce Trust among Soldiers, Army Civilians, and Army Families and with the American people. Army Profession Pamphlet http://cape.army.mil/Army%20Profession/CAPE_APPam_SEP13_Web.pdf

The Army Ethic



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The Army Ethic

Army Profession:   Is integral within the Essential Characteristics of the profession   Provides motivation and guidance for Character Development   Serves as the aspirational, vocational complement to the legal, regulatory nature of the institutional Army   Sustains moral-ethical ethos within Army culture   Reinforces Trust among Army Professionals and with the American people

Army Professionals:   Defines character, ethical decision-making, and proper conduct [Honorable Service and Stewardship]   Defines the Identity of Army Professionals [Soldiers and Army Civilians]   Provides an explanation of what is expected [ethical conduct of Duty]   Explains why ethical practices are the standard and why unethical practices are not tolerated [motivation for upholding Army Values]   Inspires Army Professionals’ dedication to development in competence, character, and commitment

The Army Ethic explains the nature of Honorable Service in accomplishing the Mission; and expresses the standard and expectation for Army Professionals to make right decisions and to take right actions in the performance of Duty and in all aspects of their lives.

Rationale for a Promulgated Army Ethic



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The Army Ethic

  Army Professionals make decisions and take actions that are consistent with the Army Ethic and Army Values.   The Army Ethic has been articulated in various forms; however, it is not officially expressed, and there is inconsistent understanding among Army Professionals. Oaths, creeds, values, virtues, etc., must be integrated within the holistic Army Ethic.

  The Army Ethic includes American Values embodied in the Declaration of Independence and the Preamble to the Constitution. The moral authority of these documents originates in Greek philosophy and the traditions of Western history and culture.   The Army Ethic expresses the nature of Honorable Service and the mandate to uphold Army Values. It may be a rational composite of philosophies and ethics, not reflecting a single, extant moral theory.   The Army Ethic must be understandable, accessible, and applicable for all members of the Army Profession. It must provide ethical guidance for decisions and actions attendant to the conduct of duty, with discipline and to standard.

  The Army Profession and institutional Army (a military Department), provide Honorable Service in support and defense of the Constitution. The Army Ethic guides the design, generation, support, and ethical application of landpower (including: regulations, policies, procedures, practices, and systems).

Facts



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The Army Ethic Army Profession Lexicon

(Key Examples)   Culture: the beliefs, customs, practices, and social behavior of a people; a set of attitudes that characterizes a people; shared beliefs, practices; group identify; the “character” of a people. [Encarta]

  Ethic: a set of moral principles, concepts, or standards; the system of moral standards or principles relating to or affirming a specific group, field, or form of conduct. [ADRP 1; para 2-8, p 2-2]. Army Ethic: the evolving set of laws, values, and beliefs, deeply embedded within the core of the profession’s culture and practiced by its members to motivate and guide the appropriate conduct of individual members bound together in common moral purpose. [ADRP 1; para 2-8, p 2-2]

  Ethics: the study of moral standards and how they affect conduct; the system of moral principles governing appropriate conduct; the study and evaluation of human conduct and character; the values or principles of individuals and groups; explains why people embrace different values and principles. [Encarta]

  Ethos: shared fundamental (intangible) characteristics; typically expressed in attitudes, habits, and beliefs. [Encarta] The characteristic spirit of a culture, era, or community as manifest in its attitudes and aspirations. [ADRP 1; para 2-8, p 2-3] [Winning Spirit, Esprit de Corps].

  Identity: perceptions informing individuals’ sense of who they are and their purpose in life. [One’s self-concept as a Soldier-Army Civilian of “character, competence, and commitment to the Army Ethic.”] ADRP 1, para 3-25, p 3-6. Army Professional: certified in character, competence, and commitment, serving honorably in defense of the American people].   Moral: relating to issues of right and wrong; based on conscience; conduct (behavior) that is decent and honorable. [Encarta]

  Values: principles or concepts that are always important and reflected in decisions and actions. [Dictionary, amalgam]

  Virtues: [conduct] showing high moral standards; a quality considered morally good or desirable in a person [Dictionary]



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The Army Ethic

Lexicon/Taxonomy Philosophical Foundations (Greek, Western Cultural Heritage, Citizen-Soldier) Founding Documents (Declaration of Independence, Preamble Constitution) History of the Army Profession; Army Professional exemplars Army Mission Army Professional Identity Army Culture (Standards and Discipline, Customs, Courtesies, Traditions) Army Ethos Army Values (Principles) Army Virtues (Respected Characteristics and Conduct) Characteristics of the Army Profession (Trust Military Expertise, Honorable Service, Esprit de Corps, Stewardship) Certification of Army Professionals; Development of the Competence, Character, and Commitment of Army Professionals. Expectation for Army Professionals (Normative Behavior): Seek to discover the truth, decide what is Right (ethical, effective, efficient), demonstrate their competence, character, and commitment to act accordingly Code of Ethics Roles of Army Professionals: Commissioned Officers, Warrant Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers, Enlisted Soldiers, Army Civilians, Active Component (Regular Army), Army National Guard, US Army Reserves, Retired Army Professionals, and Veterans of Honorable Service Just War Tradition Legal Foundation Moral Foundation The Ethical Application of Landpower

Draft Concept for Content of the Army Ethic



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ADRP 1 -The Framework of the Army Ethic

Legal Foundations (codified)

Moral Foundations

Army as Profession

(Laws/values/norms for performance

of collective institution)

Legal-Institutional The U.S. Constitution Title 5, 10, 32, U.S. Code Treaties of which U.S. is party Status of Forces Agreements Law of Land Warfare

Moral-Institutional The U.S. Declaration of Independence Just War Tradition Trust Relationships of the Profession

Individual as Professional (Laws/values/norms

for performance of individual

professionals)

Legal-Individual Oath of: Enlistment Commission Office U.S. Code – Standards of Exemplary Conduct Uniform Code of Military Justice Rules of Engagement Soldier’s Rules

Moral-Individual Universal Norms: Basic Rights Golden Rule Values, Creed & Mottos: “Duty, Honor, Country” NCO Creed, Civilian Creed Army Values Soldier Creed, Ethos

The Army Ethic

The Army Ethic is the evolving set of laws, values, and beliefs, deeply embedded within the core of the Army culture and practiced by all members of the Army Profession to motivate and guide the appropriate conduct of individual members bound together in common moral purpose.



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The Army Ethic Focus Group Discussion Theme

•  What is the nature of the Army Ethic?

•  Does it motivate and inspire our shared professional identity?

•  If so, how should we express it?

Ethics - Study of what is right and wrong (philosophy, theology, law) Morals - Beliefs about what is right and wrong (conscience) Ethic - Set of moral principles guiding our decisions and actions

Key Terms for Discussion