A Tactical Ethic by Dick R Couch

Author:Dick R Couch [Couch, Dick]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781612514208
Publisher: Naval Institute Press

It seems as if I’ve painted quite a dark picture of our culture and the effects that culture has on America’s youth—specifically those entering military service and those on active service. But as previously mentioned, not all is bad in America. Amid all of that which seems overly commercial and dysfunctional and mindlessly violent, much of what the military teaches and stands for is appealing. The value set that serves American warriors present is much like those of American warriors past. While there have been changes in the methods of war and the attitudes toward war, the virtues of the warrior have changed little. As media and commercial forces evolve and vie for our attention, their message doesn’t always resonate. There are many young Americans who are looking for some anchor or fixed reference of personal values and personal worth. So the military can be an attractive option for those who may not buy into the commercialism or the violence. This is often seen in the recruiting advertisements—the ones that may often precede a sporting event or a UFC competition. These often promote job training and adventure, but they also focus on honor, duty, and service.

The generation we have labeled as the Millennials are coming of age amid a great deal of uncertainty, social change, and mixed messages. As previously mentioned, they bring with them a great deal of talent and potential. They join a standing force that may be the best our nation has ever put into the field. Yet it remains for the military to recruit the new men, mold them, and channel their talent and potential into virtuous warrior conduct, from the basic-training venues into the operational units and then onto the battlefield. Yet the Millennials bring a great deal of baggage with them—that is to say, the social and cultural values that are not helpful to good warriorship. In this chapter I’ve gone into some of the aspects of American society that have to be reversed or brought into line with what is expected of those who conduct ground-combat operations. I did this for good reason, as those same negative social and cultural issues are waiting for our newly minted soldiers, marines, and special operators when they finish basic training. Our warriors coming out of the military basic/initial training programs are like those being released from drug-rehab programs. They’re clean, and many have a new and fresh outlook on life, one that’s in keeping with their new status as American warriors. But there are forces out there that will challenge their new moral orientation—forces such as the media, the social scene, and even old friends.

In addition to the lingering effects of old values and old friends, there is the challenging influence of the operational units the new warriors will soon join. In the final chapters of this book, we will look at the impact of that critical period between basic training and the battlefield. If the moral health of the operational unit is good and small-unit

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