Damascus Paradox the Code of the Warrior - The Kinder, Gentler Army

摘要

Current literature strongly suggests that today's U.S. Army is an army in crisis: a faltering force, driven by political correctness and beset with a host of problems from recruiting and retention to morale and readiness. A number of writers have articulated, some clearly and some by implication, a root cause for this worsening situation - the supplanting of the 'Code of the Warrior' by a 'kinder, Gentler, Army' and its antecedent the feminization of the military. We all react viscerally to the mere mention of the 'Code of the Warrior' or a 'Kinder, Gentler, Army'. The warrior conjures images of the skilled, dedicated, tough soldiers who defended their country at any cost and against fearful odds in places like Antietam and Omaha Beach. Kinder and gentler evokes formations of emasculated, quivering individuals who could not march together, let alone act in concert to defend their country in battle. Obviously, these two visions represent polar extremes with reality hidden somewhere in the vast shadowlands between the two. I propose this paper in order to seek out that reality. In doing so, I shall use one standard as my guide: the primary purpose of any military organization is to wage war and win. Certainly peacekeeping, nation building, and other missions may become vital and necessary. However, such missions are ancillary purposes. On the aforementioned basis, I propose to begin the search by attempting to define the warrior's code and the ethic followed by its adherents. Next, I will explore a kinder, gentler army with a view toward precisely explaining this rather murky theory. I will then examine how each concept has acted to influence the current shape of our force. Finally, the analysis section will assess the impact of 'The Code of the Warrior' and 'The Kinder, Gentler, Army' on the primary and secondary purposes of a military organization.