The Army Ethic: The United States Army's Doctrinal Mishap

Per Army Doctrinal Reference Publication (ADRP) 1 and Army Doctrinal Publication (ADP) 6-22, the Army Ethic, is categorized by two key fundamental points. The first is The Heart of the Army, which argues that moral principles guide decisions, and its ethics expressed through laws, values, and shared beliefs within American and Army cultures. Its historical and prophetic motto centralizes the grassroots of this fundamental premise: This Well Defend. The second fundamental focuses on being trusted Army professionals who honorably serve the nation while epitomizing good character, being competent, and epitomizing stewardship of the Army profession. However, the two fundamental points fail to identify simplistic character traits that echo the Army Values. It is essential to derive a more precise approach within the Army Values that is easily digestible and understood by todays leaders. The United States Army places minimum emphasis on the aspects of ethical climate, and this paper strives to find gaps in the current construct and provide a recommendation to revamp what the publication demands. Therefore, the United States Army needs to consolidate and revise its Army Ethic to posture an efficient and shared understanding of ethics within its organization.