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56 <a href="http://www.mca-marines.org/gazette">www.mca-marines.org/gazette</a> M a r i n e C o r p s G a z e t t e • M a y 2 0 0 9 IDEAS & ISSUES (ETHICS) nates. Experience-based training has its limitations, and the potential for disparity among unit leaders needs to be consid- ered. It should come as no surprise that since the inception of the Marine Corps Values Program a significant number of Marines have not been able to success- fully align their individual values with the organization’s values. Many con- tributing factors come into play, such as generational trends in society, institu- tional constraints, and individual values development. Regardless, these way- ward Marines continue to gain more re- sponsibility and higher billets and are the leaders who present the greatest challenge to a morally focused Corps. Their negative influence may not ap- pear overtly problematic, but their im- pact on impressionable small unit leaders is extremely detrimental. These are the Marines who use words like honor, courage, and commitment but can’t provide evidence of it in their own lives. They fail to hold Marines ac- countable for their actions by looking the other way and fail to set the exam- ple in all they say and do. To them, the core values as an ethical code are sec- ondary to mission accomplishment. The burden of leadership they carry is not a passion to do the right thing but an excuse to justify the wrong. They fail to teach, remediate, or sustain the moral and ethical development of their subordinates because they simply do not put forth the effort to do so. Or worse yet, they do not truly believe in its value. Our young Marines deserve better than this, and we must ensure that small unit leaders understand the moral and ethical imperative. Recommendations It is our job as leaders to prioritize moral and ethical training amidst time restraints and lack of updated and practical resources, and despite those with incongruous values. The follow- ing are recommendations that may aide the process: • Refine and update MCRP 6–11B to reflect the lessons learned from the long war. Add a combat ethics section focusing on “hip pocket” discussions and ethical decision games that can be conducted in no more than 30 min- utes. Provide training on how to effec- tively use the publication at Corporal’s Course, Sergeant’s Course, Squad Leader’s Course, or equivalents. • Develop a series of Marine Corps Institute courses that use a building block approach to ethical education tied into pay grade. Make the intro- ductory course an additional require- ment for meritorious promotion boards alongside “Leading Marines” and “Terrorism Awareness.” • Incorporate demanding ethical ed- ucation requirements at officer and enlisted professional schools. As an example, consider the following offi- cer progression: I Reserve Officer Training Corps/ Academies. Teach the philosophic basis of institutional values and ethics to ensure a solid understanding of good character and virtue prior to entering the Operating Forces. I The Basic School. Introduce nor- mative/prescriptive theory that prizes ethical commitments and the idea of cause and effect. Offer elab- orate descriptions of real-world ex- amples to foster the ability of leaders to turn ideals into action. I Expeditionary Warfare School. Elaborate on normative theory and focus on the ability of company grade officers to use a systematic, standards-based approach to teach, remediate, and sustain ethical train- ing at the unit level. I Command and Staff College. Teach metaethics; i.e., the under- standing of the nature of ethical properties, ethical statements, atti- tudes, and judgments. It is the tran- sition from the “how to” of ethical theory to the “what is.”7 • Specifically outline the require- ments of the “Warrior Values” task of TECom’s predeployment training continuum to ensure that moral and ethical training is standardized across all deploying units. • Publish unit expectations of moral, ethical, and professional behavior for each pay grade or billet, both in garri- son and in the combat zone. Tie expec- tations to awards and punishments. • Make moral and ethical training a priority of the unit’s training plan and focus on the development of all lead- ers from the most junior noncommis- sioned officer to the most senior officer. All hands are needed to make this effort a reality. Conclusion To truly meet the intent of our Corps’ senior leaders we must actively incorporate moral and ethical training at the small unit level. Despite the many challenges, we must turn con- cept and theory into action. With pri- oritization of effort, recognition of time and leadership challenges, and proactive training and education, we certainly can provide the tools and guidance for our small unit leaders to succeed as they implement moral and ethical leadership training. Notes 1. Adapted from remarks made by LtCol J.W. Bierman, Infantry Training and Readiness Man- ual Conference, School of Infantry-West, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, December 2007. 2. Department of the Navy, Naval Operations Concept, Washington, DC, 2006. 3. Headquarters Marine Corps, Marine Corps Strategy 21, Washington, DC, November 2000. 4. Conway, Gen James T., Commandant’s Plan- ning Guidance, Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington, DC, 2006. 5. Conway, Gen James T., “Non-Commis- sioned Officers Will Win This War,” Leather- neck magazine, November 2007. 6. Adapted from the draft paper by Dr. Jessica Wolfendale, “Developing Moral Character in the Military: Theory and Practice,” presented at the International Symposium for Military Ethics, Springfield, VA, 25–26 January 2007. 7. Adapted from the recommendations of MAJ M.A. Carlino, USA, in his paper, “Ethical Ed- ucation at the Unit Level,” presented to The Joint Services Conference on Professional Ethics Washington, DC, 27–28 January 2000.
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