Special Report: Civil-Military Relations Since World War II: Ethical Considerations

About this Report:

Beginning in 2009, the Command and General Staff College Foundation has partnered each year with the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College to host an annual ethics symposium at Fort Leavenworth. These annual symposia provide an opportunity for academics and practitioners to come together to discuss ethics as they relate to the profession of arms, the practice of state-controlled violence, and national security.

The 2026 CGSC Military Ethics Symposium was conducted March 27, 2026, with the theme of “Civil–Military Relations Since World War II: Ethical Considerations.” The symposium included a variety of guest speakers, panel discussions, and paper presentations.

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Special Report: Civil–Military Relations Since World War II: Ethical Considerations – pdf

Inside this Report:

Renewed Moral Ownership: The Professional Ethic as a Shield Against Moral Injury
Jason Garlock

The Eyes of the World are Upon You: Effectively Communicating a Just War Framework
Jon Butler

Intersection of Just War Theory and Moral Injury
Glen W. Thompson

Just War Tradition and Ethical Frameworks: Are They Relevant in an Age of Autonomous Weapon Systems?
Vincent Bain

“Never [Just] War Again!” – The Papacy’s Changing Pastoral Voice on Just War
Matthew Whitehead

Rights-Based Ethics and the Just War Tradition: How the ICRC’s Expansion of Customary International Humanitarian Law Undermines the Moral Foundations of Jus in Bello
Gerard H. Mauterer, Jr.

In the Name of the King (of Heaven): Joan of Arc and the Ethics of Divine Command
Benjamin Reed

Just War and the Virtuous Physician: How Natural Law Evokes Character in Combat
Andrew P. Schmitz

Gallows Humor, Sacred Conscience: The Ethics of Medical Experiments on Conscientious Objectors in WWII
Andrew P. Schmitz

MacArthur and the Korean War: A Systemic Breakdown in Civil–Military Relations Through the RAFT Lens
Sean Wead

The Chaplain as Faithful Steward of The Army Ethic in an Age of Political Friction
Michael Demmon

The CGSC Military Ethics Symposium

The CGSC Military Ethics Symposium is an annual symposium co-sponsored and hosted by the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC) and the Command and General Staff College Foundation and Alumni Association.

These annual symposia provide an opportunity for academics and practitioners to come together to discuss ethics as they relate to the profession of arms, the practice of state controlled violence, and national security.

It is the goal of Command and General Staff College and the Command and General Staff College Foundation to facilitate lasting relationships among the military and civilian academic community. To accomplish this goal, we invite military, academic and professional personnel to participate in the CGSC Military Ethics Symposium. This allows us to build a community of expertise that includes both military and non-military thinkers.