Army Conscientious Objector

2022 Words9 Pages
Running head: A CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR IN OUR RANKS A Conscientious Objector in Our Ranks SGM Robert R. Richardson United States Army Sergeants Major Academy Class # 59 CWO Daniel T. Moyer 12 November 2008 Abstract There is an enormous amount of ethical dilemmas facing the leaders of today’s Army. Some can even challenge the strength of a cohesive unit. Though many of the ethical dilemmas I have seen through my 25 year career, one stands out more than others. I discovered a conscientious objector within the company that I was a First Sergeant of, prior to the units’ deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) in January 2003. Many factors came into play with this discovery; the effects on the company,…show more content…
In many ways, we are the father of the company and the strength of the unit as seen from those looking in. I constantly spent a great deal of my time educating and sharing with my junior leaders the importance of being a role model, and why you should refuse temptation of leading based on popularity versus leading using the Army values. In this ethics thought paper I am required to write, I will explain the definition of what a conscientious objector is in my own words. I will also touch upon how this tested the relationship I had with my commander as well, and how it affected the company’s morale and its ability to prepare for…show more content…
They are an individual who, on moral, ethical or religious grounds, refuses to participate in an armed conflict, or even to take up a role as a supporter of an armed force in conflict. In the Army Regulation 600-43 it explains the Army’s definition of conscientious objector and provides leaders the steps in which to properly deal with Soldiers who come forward with their claim. The regulation also specifically explains that care must be exercised not to deny the existence of beliefs simply because those beliefs are incompatible with one’s own. (Army, 21 August
Open Document