Military Review English Edition September-October 2013 | Page 44
it is better to accept disciplinary action than to follow the order and risk being wounded or killed.7 However, soldiers who have developed a strong trust in their leaders take actions directed at accomplishment of the mission regardless of the personal danger they face. They trust that their leaders are competent, that the mission is essential, and that their leaders have taken all available measures to minimize risk to their soldiers. A lack of trust between the Army and the American people can be just as harmful. The existence of an effective all-volunteer force is only possible if Americans are confident that joining the Army profession allows them to be part of a calling that cares for its members while providing for the defense of the nation. The president and Congress must trust in our ethic and our effectiveness to allow us the autonomy and the resources we require to maintain the readiness necessary to fight and win.8 If we lose that trust with the American people then we will also lose the support of our civilian leaders, making it more difficult for us to fulfill our obligation of defending the nation and the Constitution as we have sworn to do.
resulted in Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the commander of the International Security and Assistance Forces in Afghanistan, stepping down from his position. A 2010 Rolling Stone article anonymously quoted McChrystal’s aides as criticizing President Barack Obama and his team.11 The article portrays a climate in which McChrystal and his staff displayed contempt toward the Obama administration, which they doubted as being competent enough to effec-
…as Army leaders, we must understand the bounds of the political process in which we operate.
tively manage the war in Afghanistan. Although the accuracy of the story has been called into question, McChrystal has stated that “regardless of how I judged the story for fairness or accuracy, responsibility was mine.”12 Within hours of the article being publically released, Gen. McChrystal was on a plane back to Washington to deliver his resignation to the president. Regardless of how out of context some of the statements made by McChrystal’s staff may have been taken, the Rolling Stone article highlighted a tension that existed between the Army and its civilian authorities as to how best execute a war that was becoming increasingly unpopular with the American people. These types of public disagree Y[? ?\?H\?Y?[ ??]?[ [Z[]\?H ?[][??[?Y?YH H ?\??] ?Y[? H\?^H[? H?][??\???\?[??X??[?][? ??\??]?[X[?]]?] H?[?[ ??[XY?H?]?[ [Z[]\?H ?[][???Z[[?? ???\??]?[X[?XY\??\ ?]H ?Y??X?Y[? ?[??H?? [??\??H ?^HZ[]\?HXY\???[? ??[?H Z\?\?\?Y??\??H?X?[??[? ? K]?X?[YH]?Y[? ]H ?Y?H^\?Y?] ?Y[? ??YHZ[]\?HXY\??\[? H?[XHYZ[?\? ?][??H?[X?\??XZ?? ? HYYXK ?X? ?]?X[Y HZ[]\?x?&\? ??][? ]\??\??[X?\??? ??? ? ?\?H?YYY[?Y??[?\?[? ??H ?X??\??[ XYH ??YH[? HYZ[?\? ?][??Z[H HZ[]\?H ?\?] [\ [?? ??? Z[? H ?\?Y[? \?[?? H ? ?]Y?H ?]?Y]? ???\??L?[ ?Y? H[? ]???B??\ [X?\?S???\? ? L?;?kRSUT?H?U?QU???]?[ SZ[]\?H?[][????]?[X[?XY\?? [ H[X?Y?H H [?K]?H [ [X]H]]?] H?\? H\?^K?H\????\ ??]?[X[??? ??? HZ[]\?H\?\?]?Y???H?\????] ][?[?\?\??[?X[ ?XZ[?Z[?[??[?Y??X?]?H ?[][??\?] ?Y[? H\?^H[? H?][??\?^ \? ?[?Z[]\?H?\?][?? ?H]?H[??Y?][? ?Y ?\?H?\??]?[X[?XY\??[?X] \?? ?[]?[? ??][?[ ?X?\?] K???]?\?\?\?^HXY\?? ?H]\? [?\??[? H??[? ?? H ?]X?[ ???\??[? ?X? ?H?\?]K?\??[]Y[ [?[???\??\? ?[?\? [?H??]?[ [Z[]\?H ?[][????X?]?H?]?[X[??? ??? HZ[]\?H[????? \? ?[][??\ ?^\??H?X][??HY? H ??\??[?[??X?\??? ? ] ?[? ? ?XY H ??\??H?] H ?\?\??[?H?]?[X[???\ ] ?X?\?\?Y?][X]H]]?] H ?][? H ?]K?LZ[]\?H ??\??[?[ ?]\? [?\??[?[? ?\?X? \? ?[][??\ ??Z[ \?H ? ?\ ? H?]?[X[?XY\??\?\?X?\?[??H?[X]H?[???[??H ??\?[X?Y??X?X[ ?\?[??X??[?][?[?\??? ?\?H ??\? ??\??[?[??\?H[?? ??Z[?[?[? ?X?[??\?H?H??XZ???[??\???\????]?[ [Z[]\?H ?[][? ???