TRADOC Pam 525-3-7-01 - TRADOC - U.S. Army

TRADOC Pam 525-3-7-01Character develops through learning and experience. While people may admire and attemptto emulate others, they cannot borrow the character and reputation of another individual. EverySoldier must carefully develop their own character, but this is neither automatic nor a clearlymapped out process individuals can easily follow. Consequently, Soldiers must learn to makegood moral decisions through practice. When the correct moral course of action is unclear, alifelong habit of doing the right thing in all areas of one’s personal and professional lives may bethe only guide. Well-developed character is the shield against the temptation to make immoralchoices and decisions. The Army’s obligation is to assist in this process in order to developSoldiers who consistently represent the highest moral character in and out of uniform. It isSoldiers of character who create the foundation upon which good units are built; units that can betrusted to accomplish their assigned missions without sacrificing their honor or integrity.FM 6-22, addresses character as essential to leader development, but the concept appliesequally to all Soldiers. People join the Army with their character largely shaped by theirbackground, values, beliefs, education, and life experience. While such primary socialization ispowerful, becoming a person of character, and a leader of character, is a lifelong processinvolving experience, education, self-development, direction, coaching, and mentoring. Soldiersof character develop through continual study, reflection, experience, and feedback. When leadershold themselves and subordinates to the highest standards,those standards and values then spread throughout the team,unit, or organization and ultimately throughout the Army.While doing the right thing is good, doing the rightthing for the right reason and with the right goal is better.Men and women of character must possess the desire to actmorally in all situations. One of the leader’s primaryresponsibilities is to maintain an ethical climate thatsupports development of such character. When anorganization’s ethical climate supports moral behavior,people will, over time, think, feel, and act morally.This examination of the human dimension dividesdeveloping the character of Soldiers is into three parts:First, encouraging the growth of a strong militarycharacter—building a warrior spirit; second, promotingconsistent individual adherence to a strong moral-ethicalfoundation on which to ground military character; and,third, enhancing socio-cultural sensitivity to fit therequirements of an era of persistent conflict.DevelopedA man can be selfish, cowardly,disloyal, false, fleeting,perjured, and morally corrupt ina wide variety of other waysand still be outstandingly goodin pursuits in which otherimperatives bear than thoseupon the fighting man. He canbe a superb creative artist, forexample, or a scientist in thevery top flight and still be avery bad man. What the badman cannot do is be a goodsailor, or Soldier, or airman.Military institutions thus form arepository of moral resource,which should always be asource of strength within thestate.General Sir John Hacketttogether these processes will result in a character founded “The Military in Service to the State,”on a robust professional military ethic. The warrior spiritp.119.sustains the will to fight and provides the necessarymotivation to persevere in the face of hardship and the threat of injury or death in battle. Socioculturaldevelopment requires Soldiers to understand instinctively, and be sensitive to the reality,that their actions have different meanings to different sections of the local and global audience;that these meanings translate to consequences for their personal success and the perception of54