UnderstandingthePsychologyofCombatintheLawofWar

CDTBurns,Jacob

UNCLASSIFIED

Purpose and Scope

• Purpose:ThepurposeofthisbriefingistoinformcadetsoftheWildcatBa>alionandothersaboutthepsychologyofcombatinthelawofwar.Attheconclusionofthisbriefingtheaudiencewillhaveabe>erunderstandingofthetopicallowingthemtobemorecompetentmilitaryleadersandmembersofsociety.•  Scope:ThisinformaEonalbriefingwillbeconductedinthreesecEons.EachofwhichwillcontaininformaEontofacilitatetheunderstandingofthepsychologyofengagingtheenemyincombat,inaccordancewiththerulesofengagement(ROE)toupholdthelawsandregulaEonsofwar.

Agenda

•  SecEon1:ThePsychologyofCombat•  Fight-or-Flight•  Trainingvs.CondiEoning•  Proximity•  Results

•  SecEon2:TheLawofWar•  Origins•  LeagueofNaEons&UnitedNaEons•  NurembergTrials&GenevaConvenEons

•  RulesofEngagement•  LawofArmedConflict

•  SecEon3:MakingConnecEons•  Authority&Milgram•  ObediencetoPowers•  MyLaiMassacre&UCMJ

•  Conclusion•  References

Sec1on 1: ThePsychologyofCombat

Stress Responses

Fight-or-Flight

•  StressresponsethroughtheSympatheEcNervousSystem•  SecreEonofepinephrine,norepinephrine,andcorEsol•  Increaseofstrength,speed,andpower•  Freeze

Posture-or-Submit

Training vs. Condi1oning

•  OperantCondiEoning•  AformofassociaEvelearninginwhichtheconsequencesofabehaviorchangetheprobabilityofthebehaviorsoccurrence•  RewardsandPunishments•  Strengtheningorweakeningvoluntarybehaviors

•  ClassicalCondiEoning•  AssociaEonbetweenaninvoluntaryresponse•  CondiEoningofneutralsEmuli

Learning-•  AsystemaEc,relaEvely

permanentchangeinbehaviorthatoccursthroughexperience

•  ConnecEonsorassociaEonsbetweenevents

Condi1oned responses

•  TheNo.1[gunner]was17yearsold–Iknewhim.HisNo.2[assistantgunner]layontheleaside,besidehim,hisheadtowardtheenemy,aloadedmagazineinhishandreadytowhipontothegunthemomenttheNo.1said“Change!”TheNo.1startedfiring,andaJapanesemachinegunengagedthematcloserange.TheNo.1gotthefirstburstthroughthefaceandneck,whichkilledhiminstantly.Buthedidnotdiewherehelay,behindthegun.HerolledovertotaphisNo.2ontheshoulderinthesignalthatmeansTakeover.TheNo.2didnothavetopushthecorpseawayfromthegun.Itwasalreadyclear.

Proximity

• Anindividualsresistancetokillingincreasesasthedistancefromthetargetdecreases.

Results of Stress •  Re-experiencingthetraumaEceventthroughthoughts,memories,dreams,orflashbacks•  AvoidanceofacEviEesthatremindoftheevent,orrelatedthoughts,feelings,orconversaEons•  ReducedresponsivenessorseparaEonfromtheirenvironment,people,orlossofinterestinacEviEesthatwereonceenjoyed•  Increasedarousal,negaEveemoEons,andguiltresulEngintroubleconcentraEng,sleepproblems,anxiety,anger,ordepression

Sec1on 2: LawofWar

Origins of the Law of War

• Developedfrom:• Religion• Culture• Policy• TradiEons• Events

“Forexample,intheBible,Goliathsuggestedthatacontestbetweentwochampionswouldbeusedinsteadofusingtwoarmies.Thus:‘Ifhebeabletofightwithme,andkillme,thenwewillbeyourservants,butifIprevailagainsthim,andkillhim,thenyeshallbeourservantsandserveus’”(Gillespie,2011).

League of Na1ons & United Na1ons

•  FirstinternaEonalorganizaEonwhoseprincipalgoalwastomaintainandenforceworldpeace•  EstablishedattheendoftheFirstWorldWar•  TheLeagueofNaEonsresolvedsometerritorialdisputesandminorconflicts•  Oneofitsprimarytaskswastoenforcethedisarmamentofcountrieswhosemilitariesweregeingtoolarge

•  Established24October1945•  ObjecEves:•  MaintaininginternaEonalpeaceandsecurity•  PromoEnghumanrights•  Fosteringsocialandeconomicdevelopment•  ProtecEngtheenvironment•  Providinghumanitarianaidinfamine,naturaldisasters,andarmedconflict

Nuremberg Trials & Geneva Conven1ons •  InternaEonalMilitaryTribunal(IMT)triedindividualsforCrimesagainstpeace,Warcrimes,Crimesagainsthumanity.•  FourseparateconvenEonswithaddiEonalprotocolsintroducedoverEme•  InternaEonalCriminalCourt(ICC)jurisdicEonoverwarcrimes,crimesagainsthumanity,andgenocide

•  Treatmentfor:•  thewoundedandsickinarmedforcesinthefield•  thewounded,sickandshipwreckedofarmedforcesatsea•  prisonersofwar•  rightsofcivilians

Rules of Engagement •  InternaEonalROEviaNATO•  StandingRulesofEngagement(SROE)•  Inherentrightofself-defense

•  NaEonal,CollecEve,MissionAccomplishmentv.Self-Defense•  DeclaredHosEleForce•  HosEleActs•  HosEleIntent•  ImminentUseofForce

• Mission-specificROE•  ROECards

• ChangeoverEme

ROE Card

Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC) • FourprinciplesareusedtohelpgoverntheacEonsofsoldiers:• MilitaryNecessity• DisEncEon• AvoidUnnecessarySuffering• ProporEonality

SecEon3: MakingConnecEons

Authority & Milgram •  1961experimenttotestobedience•  Influencedbytheauthorityfigure,proximityofthevicEm,&theexperimentalprocedure

Obedience to Powers • CorrosivePower• RewardPower•  ExpertPower•  LegiEmatePower• ReferentPower

My Lai Massacre & UCMJ •  TetOffensivein1968•  Lt.CalleyfollowedordersofCpt.Medina• Defenseofobedience•  Legallyobligatedtodisobey

Diffusion of Responsibility

Conclusion & Ques1ons

References

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References Con1nued

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