Ethical Issues in Armed Forces

7/31/2019 Ethical Issues in Armed Forces

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ABOUT INDIAN ARMED FORCES (IAF)

The Indian Armed Forces (IAF) are the military forces of the Republic of India

encompassing the Indian Army, the Indian Navy, the Indian Air Force, IndianCoast Guard and various other inter-service institutions. The IAF is headed by its

Commander-in-Chief, the President Pratibha Patil and managed by Ministry of

Defense A. K. Antony.

The IAF is one of the world's largest military force, with roughly 1.32 million

active standing army and 2.14 million reserve forces thus giving India the third-

largest active troops in the world as of 2006, after the People's Liberation Army

and US Armed Forces. Auxiliary services include the Indian Coast Guard, the

Central Paramilitary Forces (CPF) and the Strategic Forces Command. India's

official defense budget stands at US$36.03 billion for FY2011 (or 1.83% of GDP)

but the actual spending on the armed forces is estimated to be much higher

than that.

Undergoing rapid expansion and modernization, the Indian Armed Forces plans

to have an active military space programand is currently developing a missile

defense shieldand nuclear triad capability. The Armed Forces of India possess

nuclear weapons and operate short and intermediate-range ballistic missiles as

well as nuclear-capable aircraft, and naval vessels. India is the world's largest

arms importer accounting for 9% of all global imports and ranks among the top

thirty in arms export. Currently, India imports close to 70% of its weapons

requirements, with Israel, Russia and the United States as its top military

suppliers. The countrys defense expenditure will be aroundUS$112 billion by

2016.

The IAF served as India's armed forces in all the country's major military

operations including the Indo-Pakistani wars of 1947, Indo-Pakistani War of1965, Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, Sino-Indian War, 1987 Sino-Indian skirmish,

Kargil War and others. India is currently moving to build a 9,970.16 crore

(US$2.2 billion) dedicated, highly secure and state-of-the-art optical fiber cable

(OFC) network for the Army, Navy and Air Force. This will be one of the world's

largest, closed user group (CUG) networks for exclusive use by the million-plus

personnel of the Indian armed forces. Following 1962, the IAF has had close

military relations with the Russia, including development cooperation, such as

on the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA), Multirole Transport Aircraft

(MTA), and others as well. India has also maintained close military relation withIsrael as well since 1992.
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SERVICE BRANCHES

India maintains the third-largest military force in the world, which includes

Indian Army, Navy, Air Force and auxiliary forces such as the Paramilitary Forces,

the Coast Guard, and the Strategic Forces Command.[

The Indian Armed Forceshas six branches, which are:-

Indian Army Indian Air Force Indian Navy Indian Coast Guard Strategic Nuclear Command Integrated Space Cell

Gen V K Singh is the head of army Chiefs panel, Admiral Nirmal Kumar Verma is

the head of navy Chiefs panel and Air Chief Marshal Pradeep Vasant Naik is the

head of air forces Chiefs panel. The Indian armed force is split into different

groups based on their region of operation. The Indian Army is administratively

divided into 7 tactical commands, each under the control of different Lieutenant

Generals. The Indian Air Force is divided into five operational and two functional

commands. Each Command is headed by an Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief

with the rank of Air Marshal. The Indian Navy operates four Commands. Each

Command is headed by a Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chiefin the rank ofViceAdmiral. The Indian Coast Guard operations are split into 4 regions, each region

is headed by an Inspector General or a Deputy Inspector General.

The headquarters of the Indian Armed Forces is in New Delhi, the capital city of

India. The President acts as de jure Commander in chief of the Armed Forces

while de facto control lies with the executive. The Ministry of Defense (MoD) is

the ministry charged with the responsibilities of countering insurgency and

ensuring external security of India.
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DOCTRINE

The Indian Armed Forces have six main tasks

To assert the territorial integrity of India. To defend the country ifattacked by a foreign nation. To send own amphibious warfare equipment to take the battle to enemy

shores.

Cold start which means Indian Armed Forces being able to quicklymobilize and take offensive actions without crossing the enemy's nuclear-

use threshold.

To support the civil community in case of disasters (e.g. flooding). Participate in United Nations peacekeeping operations in consonance

with Indias commitment to the United Nations Charter.

RECRUITMENT & TRAINING

Recruitment is through four military related academies. These include the

National Defence Academy, Pune, Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, Indian

Naval Academy, Ezhimala, Air Force Academy, Hyderabad and Officers Training

Academy, Chennai. For entrance, one must display that they are both physicallyand mentally fit to be in the military by written examinations, physicial

endurance tests and passing medical fitness tests. After being

commissioned,these officers are posted and deputed. They are at the helm of

affairs not only inside the nation but also at abroad. The officers are appointed

and removed only by the President of India. These officers are accorded high

status of the nature of the officers of the Indian Administrative Service. The

complete list of institutions training Indian army were listed in Military

academies in India section.
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ARMY VALUES

Values can be defined as broad preferences concerning appropriate courses of

action or outcomes. As such, values reflect a persons sense of right and wrong

or what ought to be. Equal rights for all and People should be treated withrespect and dignity are representative of values. Values tend to influence

attitudes and behavior. For example, if you value equal rights for all and you go

to work for an organization that treats its managers much better than it does its

workers, you may form the attitude that the company is an unfair place to work;

consequently, you may not produce well or may perhaps leave the company. It

is likely that if the company had had a more egalitarian policy, your attitude and

behaviors would have been more positive.

There are certain set of values which are to be inculcated in each and everyArmy personnel during the time of training and it should be made sure that the

personnel follow these values and imbibe them in their code of conduct. These

values are:-

LoyaltyBe loyal to the nation and its heritage.

DutyFulfil your obligations.

RespectRespect everyone.

Selfless ServicePut the welfare of the nation, the Army, and your subordinates before

your own.

HonourLive up to all the Army values.

IntegrityDo what is right, legally and morally.

Personal CourageAbility to face fear, danger or adversity, both physical and moral courage.


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ETHICS AS A VALUE

The most important element of all the army values is the ethical and moral code

of conduct. It is desired from army personnel to be ethical in every aspect, be it

the War-Time or Peace-Time. They must showcase highest levels of integrity andshould indulge in activities which are correct morally, ethically and legally. In

todays scenario its even more important to maintain high ethical integrity

because of various factors which are listed below:-

Army/Government guidelines. Human right activists and other related NGOs Image of the Armed forces. Media and so on.

So it has become even more important than ever for the Armed Forces as a

whole to impart training on ethics to its personnel. In order to promote ethical

code of conduct throughout the Armed forces, following measures must be

adopted by the senior level executives:-

Proper training on ethics at the time of induction. Rewarding ethical behavior.

Punishing unethical behavior. Periodic training. Senior level executives should try to be role models for the new entrants

and their juniors.

Appointing proper body for looking into issues related to the ethical codeof conduct of army personnel and their non compliance.

Promoting whistle blowing.


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THE THREE Os

Army ethics is rooted in three Os: owing, ordering, and oughting

Army ethics based upon "me-ism" or "egotism" cannot function. Army ethics is

about knowing whom and what we owe. Army ethics cannot properly exist

without the concept of owing. If we know why we owe what we do, we are able

to recognize the obligation, responsibility, and duty which give rise to moral

thinking and ethical reasoning.

Neither can army ethics properly exist without the concept of ordering.

By ordering, it does not mean telling subordinates what to do, instead to moral

structuring and ethical priorities.

Before getting to the third O, the way to think about the Os is in the context of

three Ps: principle (truth-telling and honor) first; purpose (mission

accomplishment and duty) second; and people (countrymen, airmen, and

soldiers) third. We know that army ethics demands that we look out for more

than ourselves. As mentioned, the third O stands for oughting, by which I mean

an understanding of what airmen or soldiers should do or ought to do.

It is a defence to any offense that the accused was acting pursuant to ordersunless the accused knew the orders to be unlawful or a person of ordinary

sense and understanding would have known the orders to be unlawful.

.

Every time we act, we become what we have done. In a sense, I become what I

do, and then I do what I have become. Sensible people do not want to think of

themselves as liars even though they may have lied at one time or another. If

we think that, by telling a lie, we are becoming liars (not just committing an

act), we are much more unlikely to do what we should not do, lest we become

what we do not want to be. In this process of moral reasoning, we are, in

effect, thinking about owing, ordering, and oughting.


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THE THREE Ds

The three Os work in conjunction with the three Ds: We must try to discern the

truth; at appropriate times, we declare the truth, as we have discerned it; and

then we do what we have discerned and declared (fig. 2).

Persons of strong character are the ultimate resource for any army organization,

and they are by definition persons of integrity-- individuals whose actions are

consistent with their beliefs.

- Col Anthony E. Hartle, USA

- Moral Issues in Army Decision Making

The three Ds tell us that we have a moral charge to educate ourselves as best

we can in light of the truth, to speak up for truth, and then to act in truth. One

more D actually comes into play here, for this is a process of moral decision, a

word that the dictionary tells us means "the idea of coming to a conclusionafter some question, talk, or thinking over." In fact, the word decide comes to

us from the Latin meaning to "cut off," for we cut ourselves off from

alternatives that we reject as unworthy of what we should do or of who we are.

We "cut ourselves off" from deception and distortion, from prejudice and self

promotion, from lies and lunacies, and we seek truth. For we cannot act as we

should or be what we ought to unless we are grounded in what is true. There

are standards and authorities against which one ought to measure his or her

life. Without such authorities, one has only the impetus of ones ego as a moral

criterion. By the same token, if the armed services have no ultimate standardsby which to judge their actions and orders, we court moral and army disaster.

If we do not confront the soft relativism that is now disguised as virtue, we will

find ourselves morally and intellectually disarmed.

- William Bennett

- The Death of Outrage


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ETHICAL ISSUES OF PERSONNEL

Professionals and non-professionalsArmy doctors, engineers etc. are considered to be professionals and they

are the people who have no issues in getting a career settled outside army

whereas the sweeper, cook etc are considered to be non-professionals. So

there might be discrimination on the basis of activities one performs.

RecruitmentArmy selection has the maximum number of rounds and it requires

attention, maturity and medical fitness.

RecommendationsDuring certain stages the army personnel might have to look into the

recommendations given by government that might not be feasible or in

favour of the army.

ETHICAL ISSUES OF PEACE TIME

The costs and benefits of standing armyThere is always a debate on the issue that the money spend on Indian

National Army during peace time for buying ammunitions and othertrainings etc forms a major chunk of our Gross Domestic Product. This

money could be used to satisfy needs for food, clothing, medicine etc.

The moral issueIt is one of the fundamental contentions of army that their costs can be

morally justified if they are related to benefits for individual human

beings. The main reason has been that the money borne to the army is

from these individuals.

The pacifists challengeSince self defence against an attack is considered to be justified whereas

when there is no attack how the self defence is justifiable.

Individual and social defenceSometimes the question might arise Why am I putting my life at stake for

others?

The problem of security


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ETHICAL ISSUES OF WAR-TIME

Human beings have been fighting each other since prehistoric times, and people

have been discussing the rights and wrongs of it for almost as long. Here are

some of the arguments that have been put forward:

All war is unjust and has no place in any ethical theory morality mustalways oppose deliberate violence.

The overriding aim of war should be to achieve victory as quickly andcheaply as possible. If the cause is just, then no restrictions should be

placed on achieving it.

Terrorists are inherently uninterested in morality, so following any ethicaltheory of war handicaps those whom terrorists attack.

Is it right to start a war, is war cannot be prevented?The usual solution is non violence. Non-violence doesn't just mean not

doing violence; it's also a way of taking positive action to resist oppression

or bring about change. The aim of non-violent conflict is to convert your

opponent; to win over their mind and heart and persuade them that your

point of view is right. An important element is often to make sure that theopponent is given a face-saving way of changing their mind. Non-violent

protest seeks a 'win-win' solution whenever possible.

War must be the last resort.There are differing views as to what the term 'last resort' actually means

in the context of an ethical war.

The traditional view:A state should only go to war if it has tried everysensible, non-violent alternative first. This is because a state shouldnot put lives at risk unless it's tried other remedies first. The

alternatives might include diplomacy, economic sanctions, political

pressure from other nations, withdrawal of financial aid,

condemnation in the United Nations, and so on. These alternatives

should be tried exhaustively and sincerely before violence is used.

Another view: Some people don't think that 'last' in last resort refersto the sequence of time. They argue that last resort means that the

use of force is ethical only when it is really necessary and when no


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reasonable alternative is left. They argue that sometimes it will be

morally better to go to war sooner rather than later.This might be

because waiting too long would allow the enemy to do much more

damage, or kill more people than an early war would have done; or

may allow the enemy to become so established in another country'sterritory than far greater force will have to be used to remove him

than would have been needed earlier.

If aggressive countries lead to a war. Who is the aggressor?The aggressor is the country that starts the war. But the United Nations

definition which is quoted below defines the aggressor more narrowly, as

the country that first uses armed force. This definition poses a problem

when one country takes 'aggressive action' against another without using

military force. If the victim country uses military force in response it

appears to be the aggressor and so to be in the wrong according to

international law, but morally it may be in the right.

Pre-emptive strikesA pre-emptive strike is military action taken by a country in response to a

threat from another country - the purpose of it is to stop the threatening

country from carrying out its threat. It is carried out before the other side

attacks with military force, and so appears to make the side carrying outthe strike the aggressor it is usually carried out before a formal

declaration of war.

The war must be in proportion.There are two ways of looking at this:

The goal of the war should be in proportion to the offence. Thus astate should not set itself a goal that is out of scale to the wrong to be

righted. So if country A invades part of country B, it is ethical for B togo to war to get the captured territory back, but it would not be

ethical for B to go to war to conquer country A and take over all of it.

The benefits of waging the war must be in proportion to the costs, soit must prevent more evil than it causes, it must prevent more human

suffering than it causes


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The conduct of war.This is the issue ofhowa war should be fought, rather than whyor if it

should be fought. For a war to be a just war it must be fought according to

certain rules - a war which is just in case can be unjust in the way it is

fought, or the other way around.

Good intention.A war is only a Just War if it is waged from the right motives. Good

intentions could include:

Creating, restoring or keeping a just peace Righting a wrong Assisting the innocent Bad intentions could include: Seeking power Demonstrating the power of a state Grabbing land or goods, or enslaving people Hatred of the enemy Genocide 10.Personal or national glory 11.Revenge

12.Preserving colonial power

Lawfully declared war.


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CASE STUDY

LT Alioto grew up on a remote Pacific island before his family moved to the US,

where they prospered through hard work. He is apparently the only officer in

the Army who speaks a language variant called Tagalog D.

The lieutenant faces a difficult personal situation. His widowed mother has

never learned English and now lives with him. She depends on him to assist in

family financial affairs. LT Aliotos only daughter, three years old, was born with a

severe physical abnormality which requires four hours of administered exercise

a day, a task he shares with his wife who otherwise would have difficulty coping.

Now the Army needs LT Alioto as well--for an unaccompanied assignment in the

Pacific where the US is building a major new forward support base for naval

forces as well as for an Army unit. LT Aliotos language skill, he is told, will be

critical in working with some local ethnic groups who are resisting the long-term

agreement into which the island government has entered with the US. LT Alioto

is considering whether to ask that his PCS orders be revoked for compassionate

reasons and what to do if he does submit such a request and it is denied. What

would you advise him to do?


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RESPONSE

Analysis:

The case involves an Officer (Lt Alioto) in the US Army who possesses proficiencyin a language critical to a military mission. Not only does he speak the language,

but it is his native language and apparently the only officer with these skills.

The Lieutenant has been called to duty on a mission that would require his

language skills and knowledge of his native culture. The mission would allow the

military to obtain a strategic stronghold in the Pacific, yet it is being met with

resistance from the local Islanders.

Unfortunately, the Lieutenant has hardships at home. He is requesting that his

PCS orders be rescinded on grounds of hardship and compassion.

Issue:

Lt Alioto feels that his duty at home should supersede his unaccompanied

mission to the Pacific and requests that his orders be rescinded so that he may

remain at home to care for his family.

The hardships Lt Alioto face at home include:

A disabled daughter who requires at least four hours of physical care aday. He shares this duty with his wife.

His widowed mother, now in his care, who does not speak English anddepends on his financial assistance.

Options:

A. Allow Lt Alioto to remain in the US, performing his regular military duties,thus allowing him to care for his family.

B. Require Lt Alioto to PCS to the Pacific Island and allow accompaniment ofhis family.

C. Maintain the original PCS orders, with no accompaniment.


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Possible Solutions for each option:

A. If PCS orders are rescinded, Lt Aliotos permanent record shall be flaggedto reflect denial of critical mission.

B. If PCS orders are amended to allow for dependant accompaniment,payment for dependant travel will not be authorized. Lt Alioto will also be

required to acquire his own housing since family would not be allowed to

live in US Government quarters. Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) will

continue to be paid.

C. If Lt Aliotos request is denied, he will be required to complete the missionas stated in the orders with no amendments.

Conclusion:

Modern day military duty is optional and based on volunteers. When one takes

the Oath to serve, one must do so knowing what could be in store for him or her

in the future.

Lt Alioto is fully aware that he retains a critical skill that is mission essential to

the Army. When the Lieutenants hardships were bestowed upon him, The Army

feels he could have resigned his commission, and found work in the privatesector that could accommodate his hardships. Instead, Lt Alioto chose to remain

in the Army, and serve his country and support missions as needed. The critical

language skill that Lt Alioto possesses is needed for an important mission. Since

Lt Alioto is an Officer in the US Army, he is obligated to fulfil that duty. Due to

constricted funding and potential dangers in the mission area, an accompanied

PCS will not be authorized.

If Lt Alioto submits a request to have his orders revoked, it is decided that he

shall have a flag placed in his permanent record and allow him to resign hiscommission and be granted an Honourable or General Discharge status

dependant on previous or future disciplinary actions. Lastly, it is assumed that Lt

Alioto will accept the mission as required. He will be given 30 days to arrange for

care for his family while he is away.

As unfortunate as Lt Aliotos hardships may be, he has chosen the life of a

military officer and must perform his duties to his country as required. Lt Alioto

has every right to resign his commission at any time if he feels he cannot

perform his military duties.


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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Military ethics by N. Fotion, Gerard Elfstrom. Case study by Major J. Carl Ficarrotta Military Ethics: Reflections on Principles-The Profession of Arms, Military

edited by Malham M. Waki.

Conversations with Gentleman Cadet Pranav Seth, Retd. Col. S. Yadav andLt. Gen R. Yadava.

WWW.WIKI.COM. WWW.BING.COM. WWW.SCRIBD.COM.
http://www.wiki.com/http://www.wiki.com/http://www.bing.com/http://www.bing.com/http://www.scribd.com/http://www.scribd.com/http://www.scribd.com/http://www.bing.com/http://www.wiki.com/

Ethical Issues in Armed Forces

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