Military ethics encompass a wide range of things. In the contemporary world, military ethics include all facets of military behavior, from issuing regular reviews on juniors to relations of those in the military with civilians to matters related to war. Currently, the world has witnessed technological advancements in various sectors including the military. Indeed, battles between different nations have become dominated by highly advanced weaponry especially when developed nations are involved. It is these developments that have raised concerns over the use of highly sophisticated and deadly weapons. Military ethics dictate how certain weapons should be used and circumstances under which the military can use lethal force. Different nations around the globe have different codes of ethics that govern how the military should carry out itself and what is anticipated of them at any given time. Furthermore, Geneva convention also provides guidelines stipulating how militaries from different countries should conduct themselves. Military ethics are discussed in detail in the paper (College, 2017).
Salient Issues
Jus ad Bellum and jus in bello are a set of principles that stipulate situations when the military can use force and when not to resort to force. Jus in the bellow, how to wage war, ensure that attention is paid to be discriminant. That is to attack only soldierly items and not civilians or their property during the war. This code of ethics also dictates that only proper amount of force is applied to a target. Besides ensuring that human rights are respected and preserved, the two codes of ethics guarantee that military personnel has respect for civilian rights and their property. This attempts to cut down on looting cases that are usually commonplace during military operations.
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Military Ethics and Technology
In a large extent, military ethics are intimately related to or connected to military technology at the disposal of the combatants. Different militaries around the globe possess different capabilities. More developed countries have highly developed weapons capable of causing considerable damage over extensive areas in a matter of minutes. Military ethics, therefore, serve to ensure that only weapons that are universally accepted are used in war (Gale, 2016). One fundamental principle of just war customs refers to efforts to make war as compassionate as probable even for the military personnel. The Geneva resolution principles require that soldiers who lay down their arms during battles be eligible for benevolent confinement by their imprisoners. The captors are needed to provide them with food, medical care, and housing. Underlying these ethics is the commonly shared belief that fighter is an impermanent status overriding an essential common humanity of rivals.
Humanitarian concerns over soldiers in the traditional military morals is demonstrated by attempts to do away with weapons considered to be inhumane. Such efforts began when the medieval church banned the crossbow since it was perceived to be too accurate and lethal over long distances. Current world leaders and military leaders have categorized blinding lasers, hollow point bullets, and the asphyxiating gas as unethical classes of technology that should not be employed in war.
Standards of Conduct
Besides dictating how the military as a whole should conduct itself, military ethics govern how military personnel should behave. Rules of conduct provide guidelines to those in the military on standards of behavioral ethics. Those found culpable of violating the ethics are liable for prosecution under the uniform code of military justice. Critical ethical values that govern military personnel are discussed below.
Honesty
Military personnel is required to be truthful and straightforward. Dishonesty erodes credibility and undermines public confidence. Straightforwardness guarantees that operations are required out efficiently and that the military is not compromised.
Integrity
Military personnel is required to be truthful to their conviction. They are expected to act with honor, perform their tasks with impartiality and maintain independent judgment at all time. This aid to prevent conflict of interest.
Loyalty
Fidelity, allegiance, and deviation are synonymous with reliability. Just the same way as loyalty binds a nation and it leads together, military personnel are called on to be loyal to each other and their country at all time. When those in the military are loyal to their country, they cannot leak information to their enemies. Indeed, loyalty in the military can help avoid cases of betrayal and division.
Accountability
Those in the military have a moral obligation to accept responsibility for their actions and resulting consequences. Accountability in the military promote careful and well-thought decisions. Accountability can go a long way in eliminating internal wrangles within the military and ensure the smooth running of operations.
Respect
High ranking officers in the military are ethically required to treat their juniors with dignity, to respect personal opinions and allow for self-determination. Disrespect leads to the breakdown of loyalty thus leading to mistrust and internal wrangles.
Gifts from Foreign Governments
Military personnel and their dependents are expected to report gifts from foreign nations if the value of the gift exceeds $300. This helps foster accountability and avoid cases of foreign governments using military personnel to obtain crucial information that could jeopardize a countries security. Lastly, military members are prohibited from carrying out demonstrations while in uniforms or in foreign countries since this can stir chaos and unrest (Powers, 2016).
Since the military is authorized by law to use lethal force when there is a potential threat, specific regulations exist that ensure that the force applied is warranted and justifiable. Furthermore, military ethics have played an integral role in preserving human rights and respect for human property.
References
College, K. L. (2017). Military Ethics. Kings College London , Retrieved From http://militaryethics.uk/en/.
Gale, T. (2016). Military Ethics. Encyclopedia.com , Retrieved From http://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/military-ethics.
Powers, R. (2016). Military Ethics. The balance , Retrieved fromhttps://www.thebalance.com/military-ethics-and-conflicts-of-interest-3332000.
