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

TRADOC Pam 525-3-7-01Military culture differs from that of the larger society. If Soldiers are to function in anenvironment of moral ambiguity and chaos, they are dependent on an ethical culture that enablesthem to persevere in accomplishing missions while protecting their sanity and character. TheArmy has the responsibility to develop Soldiers of character who adhere to enduring standards ofconduct that are part of Army’s heritage that can be and have been passed on from past to futuregenerations of Soldiers. The Army instills in its members a deep commitment to theseprofessional values as nonnegotiable conditions of membership. Americans trust their Armylargely because of its collective adherence to these professional values.Perhaps more than ever before, Soldiers participating in future operations must have a welldeveloped moral compass to navigate the increasingly ambiguous and complex situations theywill encounter. It will not always be clear what threat they face or who the enemy is. Thesesituations will often present morally laden dilemmas with no clear solutions that requireimmediate responses. If Soldiers are to have the moral resources necessary to make gooddecisions, they need to approach life and their role in the Army with a strong, well groundedmoral and ethical foundation.Inculcation of values andvirtues involves more than trainingor education to establish cognitiveunderstanding. It is more thansimply following the rules. Rigidcodes are not useful if they are notsufficiently adaptable to supportSoldiers in ambiguous situations.Simply following rules orperforming required duties will notensure avoidance of moraldilemmas. Well developed virtuesrather than fear of punishment mustguide Soldier conduct. Moreimportantly, in the complex,dynamic, ambiguous, and lethalenvironment of the future, there isgreat potential to do harm, orcommit criminal acts, and there is often insufficient time to apply rules self-consciously, orcalculate the consequences of wrongdoing. Therefore, soldierly conduct must involve thepractice of values and virtues until doing the right thing becomes a habit. Habitual virtuousconduct takes on the qualities of duty; an obligation willingly accepted and performed at the righttimes and for the right reasons. 81A key factor affecting Soldier internalization of values and virtues requires modeling byrespected leaders and the creation of an environment of consistent expectations. It requiresencouragement and reinforcement, both to practice the professional virtues and to model themilitary virtues to others. The desired result is Soldiers adopting and living as an individual self-68