Essay #2 – L204: Ethics in War The human heart is capable for love and compassion, and yet it can be “deceitful above all things and beyond cure” “The moral principles that govern the person’s behavior or the conduct of an activity.” This definition is strongly connected with the moral values and principles. Those principles are learned and shaped by the environment, and with the exception of few which are universal, are varying. The military is a specific organization that puts to the tests even the most universal values. The commander is the key factor in creating a climate that produces ethical behavior acceptable and consistent with the army values, rules of engagement, and the laws of war. The moral values, principles, and behavior are formed and learned from the family, society (culture), and the state. Even though in most cases the moral values that are embedded in those three elements are correlated, still there can be differences. The soldiers’ job is to kill in order to protect his country. Killing in a society is not acceptable, and yet in the military is perceived as a noble and honorable act. The bottom line is that the moral values are not individual choice, rather they are a …show more content…
His COIN tactics which, after the death of Panchot became more aggressive, were adopted by his subordinates as an acceptable norm. This led to more violent behavior by his subordinates which were tolerated and nobody tried to stop it. Eventually, this aggressive behavior escalated and culminated with the death of two Iraqi civilians by throwing them into the river. LTC Sassaman new about this incident and tried to cover up. All of this LTC Sassaman actions were highly unethical, but he was not acting alone. His superiors were conducting similar things and instead of condemning, some of them, Gen. Odierno, was even encouraging his