Military Review English Edition March-April 2015 | Page 81

ETHICS IN COMBAT

(Photo by Capt. Arnaldo Zelayacastro, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team PAO)

Chaplain Mike Swartz, 1st Battalion, 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, performs a communion
service 20 February 2010 at an outpost overlooking the Tangi Valley in Afghanistan. Soldiers in remote outposts would miss the opportunity to worship without the field services that chaplains provide.

will be overturned, and they will be discredited forever.
The prize in this sort of warfare is the hearts and minds of
the people. It is the center of gravity of battle.
In Iraq, according to retired Iraqi Maj. Gen. Najim
Abed Al-Jabouri, much of U.S. operational success was a
by-product of al-Qaida’s brutality against the Iraqi people.56 Al-Qaida in Iraq and other insurgent groups used
kidnapping, murder, and intimidation to gain support.
This approach had the opposite effect, turning civilians
against them and their cause.57
In contrast, and for the most part, U.S. soldiers proved
themselves partners with the Iraqi people. Local politicians, some who had been insurgents, became allies. This
meant extending trust, which in war can lead to becoming
exposed to an enemy. In turn, many Iraqis met coalition
troops halfway. The beginning of this turnaround was
known as the “Anbar Awakening.” It extended into a program spanning the entire country. Former Iraqi insurgents
changed sides to work for Iraq and maintained checkpoints that provided security against foreign fighters.
Nevertheless, such a stance is tenuous. If undone, the
military could have quickly lost those gains. Soldiers and
other supporting agencies must adhere to jus in bello and
act with discipline and moral restraint, or they will risk
extending a war indefinitely.
MILITARY REVIEW  March-April 2015

Conclusion
The effects of ethical decisions made in combat are
far-reaching and echo in consequences later in life; they
may become the most significant force in a soldier’s life
and in the lives of others on the battlefield. Ethical decisions can cause a war within the spirit of the warrior even
as battle rages around him or her. Strong emotions batter
the warrior, combining with extreme stress and unspeakable desecrations, to push soldiers to their spiritual and
psychological limits. It is imperative that the Army prepare soldiers for making difficult moral decisions during
combat. One way to equip them is through study of the
application of jus in bello, which is worked out in the law
of land warfare.
In addition, a solid faith, moral grounding, and a
developed character seem to anchor an individual to
peace of mind and spirit despite the turbulence of the
battlefield.58 Jus in bello can be a vital tool in synthesizing these characteristics and reminding soldiers of
their moral selves. Albert Bandura’s social cognitive
theory refers to a similar process, in which individuals
adopt standards of ethical conduct that deter immoral behavior.59
Unfortunately, soldiers usually understand the
rules but they sometimes do not adhere to them.
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