Ethics and leadership challenges in the U.S. Army

U.S. Army Ethics: The Difficulties with Ethics in Certain Types of Organizations

Current Situation and Issues Addressed

Ethics matter in any kind of business or organization, but they are especially significant when it comes to the U.S. Army (Blackburn, 2001). The reason behind this involves the chain of command and the risk to life and limb that are such large parts of military life. When a soldier in the Army has no ethics, he or she can cause trust and respect problems with other members of his or her unit. The U.S. military is a stressful organization for most people involved with it, and people's lives are on the line frequently. Issues like PTSD and other medical problems are commonplace for those who leave the military and must adjust to civilian life, so it is very important that those who are in the Army work with their colleagues and higher-ups to get the help and support they need during and after their service. There is more to ethics in the Army than the problems that military individuals can face, though.

Other concerns include the way individuals are treated based on race, gender, and other factors (Singer, 2000; Solomon, 1984). With more women in the Army today, there are concerns about rape and sexual harassment. There are also concerns regarding trust, because some types of soldiers do not feel comfortable trusting their lives to other types of soldiers. While this should not be the case, it often is - and it can be a serious problem because trust is vital for soldiers who are working together. Additionally, the leadership of those soldiers is very important (Fagothey, 2000; Mondy & Mondy, 2012). Leaders need to provide loyalty and strength to those who they are leading (Mondy & Mondy, 2012). If they cannot do this correctly, or if they do something that causes the soldiers under their command to lose trust in them, there are serious problems that will develop within that unit. The military has been a tight-knit unit for years, but recently there have been some scandals high up in the ranks that have caused problems. That, coupled with rising suicide and mental health treatment rates, is an indicator that there are problems - and that these problems may be larger than was first anticipated when they began to come to light (Blackburn, 2001).

Current Situation and Issues Addressed

The current situation is dire, because the military is struggling with a core value of St. Leo's: that of respect. St. Leo's value of respect says "animated in the spirit of Jesus Christ, we value all individuals' unique talents, respect their dignity, and strive to foster their commitment to excellence in our work. Our community's strength depends on the unity and diversity of our people, on the free exchange of ideas, and on learning, living, and working harmoniously." The harmoniousness of the military is being threatened right now, as are other values of respect and commitment to excellence. In seeing that this is taking place, it is clear that changes can and should be made. The deterioration of the military and the ethics that are expected to be seen there is an issue that will not change without work and effort. Those who would have things remain at the current status quo are mostly in charge at this point, but it is still possible to change the way things are for the Army today.

When soldiers and leaders have trouble with ethical behaviors, one also has to question where those troubles originate. In other words, are these behaviors part of the personality of these individuals, have they been learned and mimicked by others, or have they become accepted and expected in the Army to the point that it is odd or unusual not to behave in this manner? If ethics are becoming a thing of the past that is, naturally, something that should be addressed. Removing ethical behavior from the military could cause more serious issues with trust and loyalty than are already being seen, making current problems more significant for the future of the armed forces.

Analysis of the Issues

There are several issues that have to be analyzed. These include the most significant factors regarding the soldiers in the Army, but also the most significant based on the leadership these soldiers currently have. In order to draw any conclusions about these issues, they have to be considered carefully. The issues include:

1. The ethical responsibilities of the leaders of soldiers

2. The ethical responsibilities of the soldiers, themselves

3. A consideration as to whether both leaders and soldiers are moving away from ethical behaviors

4. A consideration as to where the movement away from ethics has originated

5. A willingness to focus on how to address issues with both soldiers and leaders, so that changes can be undertaken.

Overall, an analysis of the issues shows that both soldiers and their leaders are struggling with a lack of ethical behaviors. This is not to say that all soldiers and leaders have trouble with ethics, but only that there are ethical problems in both sections of the military. It is not just a leadership problem or just a soldiering problem (Blackburn, 2001). Instead, it is an all-encompassing, military problem that is plaguing the Army and other branches to the point that something can and should be done. Whether something will be done, however, remains to be seen. There are several ways the problem could be addressed, but it would be necessary for those who are concerned about the problem to make their voices heard more so than they have in the past (Fagothey, 2000; Mondy & Mondy, 2012). If they do not accomplish this, the fate of the military may change in the sense that a lack of ethics could become more pervasive and more "normal" than it currently is.

Conclusions and Recommendations

Naturally, the most significant recommendation is that ethics must be returned to the military. This is easier said than done, of course, because there are many factors that will have to be addressed and overhauled in order to ensure that the U.S. Army does not tolerate any unethical behavior from its soldiers or its leadership. That goes all the way up the chain of command, of course, and does not address only the soldiers in the field. When there are scandals at low levels, a dishonorable discharge may be sufficient. When there are scandals very high up within the military, though, they make the nightly news and the entire country knows about them. These are the kinds of scandals that shame the military and what it stands for, but if those scandals are not enough to make changes, than what will? What will be enough to make the Army and other military branches say that they have reached the point of serious reform? That is not a question that can be easily answered.

There is speculation that the Army has more scandals than those that are made public, and that is likely the case. Of course, that is also true of the other military branches and of corporations and companies throughout the country, as well. The issue is not to catch and expose the scandals, but to stop the scandals from taking place. There will always be some people who will attempt to take advantage and cause problems, but most people only do things that are against the rules if they see an easy opportunity to do so. Removing these opportunities and instilling ethical values in the men and women of the U.S. Army should be of utmost concern going forward.