TC 1-05
Moral and Ethical Issues
whole, out of commitment to Army values. Perhaps the deepest
motivation flows from one's personal, spiritual faith. It is also
important to note that the same person will have different levels of
motivation on different occasions.
Even though leaders may not generally know the inner motivations of
a soldier, leaders have a vested interest in deepening those
motivations. Leaders need to be able to trust soldiers to do the right
thing because it is the right thing to do, even if no one is watching.
Deepening a soldier's motivation translates into strengthening the
foundation of Army values in soldiers.
There are four ways to deepen a soldier's motivation and strengthen
Army values: known punishments, appropriate rewards, shared
hardships, and personal example. The UMT can assist the command
as it seeks ways to highlight and improve all four areas. Shared
hardships and strenuous training are especially helpful in enabling
soldiers to coalesce and gain confidence in war-fighting skills. It is
critical for the UMT to share in such hardships, which build trust and
RS opportunities. Personal example is just as important. How leaders
treat subordinates in the unit set the standard for Army values of
respect, selfless service, and honor. How leaders discuss (or dismiss)
matters of integrity translate into subordinate actions. UMT ethics
classes are good, but personal examples of the command, staff, and
the UMT have a much more powerful impact on soldiers as they
confront obvious ethical problems.
The second kind of ethical problem occurs when a soldier wants to do
what is right, but is not sure what the right COA is. In some
instances, people of goodwill can disagree on the best (right) COA.
The ethical reasoning process helps clarify issues when there are
moral components to decisions. This process helps UMTs assist
E-4
10 May 2005
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