A Tactical Ethic: Moral Conduct in the Insurgent Battlespace

The "moral and spiritual condition of our warriors has not kept pace with the technological advances and operational capabilities of our armed forces," writes Couch (ethics, U.S. Naval Academy), arguing that consequent moral lapses have harmed mission success in the insurgent battlespace. He believes that the solution to this problem is the integration of tactical training with ethical training and awareness and explores how such an integration can take place, an integration that needs to take place with close attention to small-unit leadership and small-unit culture and needs to go beyond classroom lectures in basic training in order to become ongoing and integrated with tactical considerations and the operational environment. He also stresses that the promotion of ethical awareness needs to become part of military culture in the same manner as the intolerance for abandoning a "brother warrior to the enemy," because immoral acts and moral neutrality on the part of those who witness immoral acts serve to undermine the mission just as much as failing to protect one's fellow soldiers. Annotation 穢2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)