Special Report: Ethical Implications of Large Scale Combat Operations

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 2019 Fort Leavenworth Ethics Symposium was conducted March 25, 2019, with the theme of “Ethical Implications of Large Scale Combat Operations.” The symposium included a variety of guest speakers, panel discussions, and paper presentations.

Over thirty papers were accepted for presentation at the symposium. This publication is a collection of sixteen of those papers, published as largely as submitted.

Download the complete edition

Special Report: Ethical Implications of Large Scale Combat Operations pdf
Special Report: Ethical Implications of Large Scale Combat Operations ePub Coming soon!

Inside this Report:

Bear River Massacre and the Ethical Implications for Large Scale Combat Operations
by Michael Andersen

A Survey of Military Oaths in Russian History
by Shushanna Baumann

The Persistent Holocaust and the Kielce Pogrom of July 1946
by David Cotter

Captain Miller or Major Powers? Developing the Proper Ethical Culture for Large Scale Combat Operations
by William J. Davis, Jr. and Mark Kormos

Can the United States Wage Existential Warfare Without Foundational Principles or Truths?
by Eric Dean

War Crimes in the Philippines during WWII
by Cecilia Gaerlan

The Military Officer in Moral Jeopardy or The Problem of Serving Under Unethical Senior Leaders: A Philosophical Essay
by Prisco R. Hernández, Ph.D.

Reimaging “Honorable Death” in Future Large Scale Combat Operations
by E. Ann Jeschke, Ph.D. and Sarah L. Huffman, Ph.D.

Ours is to Reason Why: The Ethics of Tactical Risk Assessment in Large Scale Combat
by Trent J. Lythgoe

Military Intelligence Officers Analytical Integrity Education
by William A. Martin

The Ethical Considerations of Unmasking Procedures
by Joshua A. Metz

“Plans from Hell”: Ethical Implications of the Third Reich’s Vision for War in the East
by Mark V. Montesclaros

The Ethics of Acquiring Disruptive Technologies: Artificial Intelligence, Autonomous Weapon and Decisions Support Systems
by C. Anthony Pfaff

The Moral Leadership Training Model: Addressing the Army’s Dearth of Moral Leadership Training Tools
by Derek M. Pottinger

Ready or Not (?) The Ethics of Time in Preparing for Large Scale Combat Operations: Navigate Chronos Lest We Die
by Samuel L. Rico

Strategic Value of an Ethics-Based Army Public Affairs Program Setting the Stage for Credibility in Large Scale Combat Operations
by Chase Spears


The Fort Leavenworth Ethics Symposium

The Fort Leavenworth 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, Inc.

Character is foundational to a leader’s capacity to successfully navigate the shifting ethical terrain presented by constantly changing technologies and situations. Symposium participants had the opportunity to explore the effect of character on leadership as they wrestle through the ethical impact of technologies and their employment on the battlefield. The symposium included a variety of guest speakers, panel presentations and breakout topics.

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 Fort Leavenworth Ethics Symposium. This allows us to build a community of expertise that includes both military and non-military thinkers.


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