Professional Military Ethics Education and Core Character Values in the Joint Profession of Arms

摘要

If America's armed forces espouse a joint profession of arms, then not only should there be mandatory ethics education and training within the respective services, there also should be an overarching 'joint' approach to professional military ethics and moral conduct education as well as an established joint code of ethics or essential core character values. Since 1990, the United States, and especially its military, has been faced with many situations that raise questions about the effectiveness of, and approach toward, ethics education. The leadership in today's military recognizes a need to focus on ethics education and character development from the most junior private to the most senior general. This research effort supports a concept of joint professional military ethics (PME) education and proposes an all-encompassing set of Joint Service Core Character Values. If military officers are going to be held to a higher standard than society, then there should be a clear set of standards to guide their performance and conduct. Not only should military officers be held to a higher standard than society because of their awesome responsibilities, but they also should be afforded the opportunity to recover from an ethics- or character-related mistake by accepting responsibility, being held accountable, and regaining lost credibility. To be successful in the pursuit of jointness, proficiency and professionalism in all aspects of military performance are essential. One aspect, that of ethical behavior and moral conduct, is clearly a necessary element in terms of ultimate success. By endorsing a joint concept for PME education and establishing a set of Joint Service Core Character Values focused on the military profession, the U.S. Armed Forces can significantly close the gap toward becoming a true joint profession of arms.