Book Analysis Essay on a Tactical Ethic: Moral Conduct in the Insurgent Battlespace

Introduction

The behavior of wars that America has experienced in the recent past is fundamentally different from conflicts the country experienced earlier on. The massive battles that covered most fighting in the past have now been replaced with small unit action; thus, their conduct is essential to the accomplishment of the mission. This paper reviews of the chapters in "A Tactical Ethic: Moral Conduct in the insurgent battlespace," by Dick Couch, analyses the strengths and weaknesses of the book and a personal reaction to the text.

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In chapter one, the author relates the story by a trainee on a battlefield in Afghanistan. The trainee shares that, while on the battlefield, he was present when the special operations team captured an enemy prisoner of war and beat him to death (Couch, 2010). He had attempted to stop the ordeal but later realized that he would fall victim if he further pressed the issue. This first encounter shows the lack of ethics by the Special Forces team because they failed to make moral judgments regardless of whom they were dealing with (Couch, 2010).

In the second chapter, Couch uses the story to present an ethical question to the audience by wondering how many such cases of misconduct have gone unreported in the face of the Global War on terrorism. The author notes that most of the troops' behaviors have gone south at times; very many misconduct issues go unreported. This is scary based on the number of battlefield incidents that have been reported due to growth in digital technology.

The third chapter holds that most cases of misconduct by the special operations have never been reported. Whenever these cases leak to the public domain, they are viewed as part of the military defeats. Historically, worries by the special operations were mainly setbacks at the conventional battlefield like mass causalities during the Second World War in Hurtgen Forest or the sudden presence of the Chinese divisions during the Korean War at the Yalu River. Still, the focus has shifted (Couch, 2010). The internet has made it possible to expose incidences of misconduct with ease. As such, the military should press for more reports on the United States misconduct in the future.

In chapter four, the book holds that it is essential for all the personnel to undergo training in ethics. Military ethics are ranked higher in comparison to the ethical standards of the United States baseline. Several moral failures result from poor leadership and lack of a towering example for the military officers. A good indication that ethics among military officers is highly respected is the poll rating that stood at seventy percent. Accordingly, the military was the most respected by the citizenry because of their mode of training and training ethics.

In the fifth chapter, Couch shares that the challenges presented during battlefield misconduct cannot be corrected by giving directives from the top bosses to the juniors. The United States military doctrine policy and regulations have attempted to provide a solution, but the challenges persist. Immoral subcultures are present in the operational military's small units because of a few influential pirates in the small groups. The use of strong loyalty ties that pull the members together; other members are kept quiet or recruited into the subculture movement.

The moral pirates' plague is persistent in the military because of the pop culture that is very common in the United States (Couch, 2010). The culture upholds violence and a mentality of winning at any cost through reality programming, and it makes thugs to be viewed as heroes. As such, those who are recruited into the military bring values and practices that are harmful. When frequent reinforcement fails, the benefits and ethics gained during the military training are quickly forgotten. When this occurs, it amplifies the cultural challenges that our military troops have been undergoing, and this is very common among the millennials. It should not be forgotten that every citizen of the United States that has volunteered in the military did so to be members of the society with value and respect. It is this reason that the Millenials are required to adhere to strong ethics and benefits of the military to tame exposure of small units to an immoral culture.

In the sixth chapter, Couch shares two models of training that he believes will solve the issue of moral pirates. The first model suggests that the new Marines should undergo severe initial training that will imprint strong ethics at the boot camp. He holds that the United States Marine Corps is well equipped in instilling these values during the initial training in comparison to other units. However, several comparative studies about service misconduct pointed out that the Marine Corps had performed much better in adhering to ethical practice in the War on Terrorism across the globe because of the observed weaknesses of the Marine Corps in a few areas.

The second model presents a Close Quarters Defense System that has been offering training to special operators for the past two decades. The system is useful as it instills ethical decision-making skills into trainees during training. It supports complete warrior virtues where trainees are encouraged to live a moral and balanced life in their homes, as this makes them capable warriors. It is believed that if the Warriors have a strong love for their country and family, they will be ruthless and put in more fight as compared to the enemy on the battlefield.

The book presents both strengths that I believe should be embraced by the United States Corps and a few weaknesses that should be overlooked. The author has presented enough evidence that the military culture has been eroding and has been replaced by the famous pop culture. The book presents a starting point for the military personnel to look back and take the right turn that will instill ethics and values in our men in uniform as it was intended.

The book presents essential rules of ethics that need to be thoroughly read by all leaders in the military. These rules are necessary for implementing strong military ethics in the U.S. Marine teams during training. Among them is the "The Loyalty Rule" that is loosely translated as loyalty before else except honor. As such, all leaders in the battlefields must make their men understand that any wring step they take will be viewed as being disloyal to not only their nation but their team, their service, and all the fallen warriors.

The book has also presented a few weaknesses in failing to spell out steps to be taken when the military officers are caught positions that compromise their beliefs and training. The book has been unable to show what decisions ought to be considered when the enemy fails to play fair to avoid being viewed as unethical. The Couch has failed to understand that the struggle on the battlefield is for survival, protection, and honor.

The book has presented me with mixed reactions about the military forces. However, it has served to instill my love for all those who voluntarily submit themselves to serve in the military. The book did not change my views but instead makes me sad that no one has bothered to take steps towards redeeming the United States Corps that is eroding to ensure that it instills ethics and moral values in our trainees.

My thought towards this book to the author would be to congratulate him and encourage him to ensure that the gospel reaches far and wide. This is because; Crouch has done a commendable job in highlighting present persistent issues that no one has dared to raise. It takes one matchstick to light the fire, and as such, he should keep up because a military team that practices moral ethics is good for us all. I endorse Couch's recommendations because our military needs to be redeemed so that ethical values can be instilled I every trainee. The book is good, but I believe it could have been better if it had highlighted recent incidents to reinforce the belief that poor leadership and the presence of morally efficient people who can destroy moral behaviors in the battlefield. It will take practical training to weed out the pop culture and ensure that all trainees in the military acquire outstanding morals during training.

References

Couch, D. (2010). A tactical ethic: moral conduct in the insurgent battlespace. Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press.