Ethics for Today's Army

Our future is dependent on taking personal Responsibility and Accountability for our actions. Passing the buck, pointing fingers, not owning up to one's actions, decisions, or lack there of should not be the norm, such as Abu Graib. Many Soldiers and Department of the Army Civilians do not take responsibility or hold themselves accountable for there own actions or decisions, which hurts our credibility as a country and as an army. Other nations and there military will not respect us if we continue down this path. Definitions as provided by our Society and the Army. Responsibility: 1a) being responsible, b) authority and obligation. 2)Person or thing for which one is responsible. (Oxford} Accountability: a) liability; blame, guilt. b) See POWER and INDEPENDENCE: Charge, duty, trust. Responsibility, Accountability and Duty seem to be intertwined which leads us to Army Values: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity and Personal Courage (LDRSHIP) (FM 22-100) which ties into Ethics, Warrior Ethos and Oath of Enlistment/Reenlistment. Ethical means conforming to the values of a given profession. (American) Ethos is a Greek word, which means "characteristic spirit or attitudes of a community, etc." (American) "Warrior Ethos refers to the professional attitudes and beliefs that characterize the American Soldier. At its core, the Warrior Ethos grounds itself in the refusal to accept failure."