Photo By Sgt. Jeff Drew | Navy Lt. Charles R. Ferguson, the chaplain for 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd...... read more read more
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FORT PICKETT, Va. - Staring down the barrel of your rifle, a possible Afghan insurgent wielding an AK-47 walks past your sight. Knowing that he may be a danger to Marines and civilians, a question flashes in your mind. Your feet remain planted, unable to move, knees locked, a cold sweat chills your neck and a silent voice in the back of your head screams, "Make a decision!”
During a combat deployment, Marines face moral decisions just like this one. In order to effectively address ethical decision making, the battalion commander and the chaplain of 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, are instituting a new system on becoming an ethical warrior.
“To me, the Ethical Warrior Program ties into key components of resilience, which are ethical behavior and ethical decision making,” said Lt. Col. Tyler J. Zagurski, the battalion commander for 1/9. “It gives a Marine the sense of what he is doing is right. Although the situation may be traumatic, they can reconcile it. There is an ethical component to it and there is a moral compass.”
By speaking with the noncommissioned officers of the company and educating them about ethical frameworks, the chaplain hopes that the small-unit leaders will take the time to speak with their Marines about the importance of making ethical decisions. It is the squad leaders who will be living with their Marines in eight-man patrol bases in Afghanistan and in order to be an effective fighting force they need to be on the same page mentally.
“I train the trainer,” said Navy Lt. Charles R. Ferguson, the chaplain for 1/9. “I give them the tools and walk them through scenarios. We talk about the history of ethics and go over common ethical frameworks so Marines can identity their own ethical core, so in a time of crisis, that is what they are drawing from, they have an anchor. I want to push the Marines to show them that ethical dilemmas are just that, they are dilemmas. Sometimes it feels like there is no right answer. I want them to realize that most times, the right answer is usually the hardest option.”
One framework in particular shines above the rest and encompasses how the battalion wants to interact with Afghan nationals. The framework of care ethics focuses on building relationships with the local Afghan populace so Marines will know them on a personal level. The ethics of care identifies that Marines have three roles. The fighter/warrior role that focuses on restraint of the use of force, the peace-maker role that focuses on giving attention to the needs of the community and the peacekeeper role that focuses on being creative to meet those needs.
As a whole, the program aims to educate and encourage young Marines to have ethical discussions in hopes of developing a stronger and more efficient fighting force.
“You will end up with junior marines in leadership positions who are equipped to handle the ethical dilemmas they encounter,” said Zagurski. “They will be equipped with a degree of resilience that allows them to operate in a chaotic environment but still maintain composure, ethos and carry out the mission.”
| Date Taken: | 02.22.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 03.21.2011 15:34 |
| Story ID: | 67484 |
| Location: | FORT PICKETT, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 84 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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