Page 64 - Wish Stream Year of 2016

and duty, which was the theme of the Blenheim Company Prayers.
This is a transcript of the re ection piece read by OCdt Knight:
Duty – from the word “due”, meaning “that which is owing”, is a term that conveys to us a sense of moral commitment or obligation to someone or something. Moreover, this moral commitment should result in action.
The moment you recognise that you have a duty, you theoretically commit yourself to its ful lment, ideally with scant regard for your own self-interest.
The concepts of duty and short-term self-sac- ri ce are inextricably intertwined. Its ful lment generally involves some sacri ce of immediate self-interest.
Cicero postulated four different sources of duty:
As a result of being human
As a result of one’s particular place in life (one’s family, one’s country, one’s job)
As a result of one’s character
As a result of one’s own moral expectations for oneself
As a soldier, and as an of cer, duty can ema- nate from many different sources. Perhaps from our sense of patriotism. Perhaps from our own self-pride. Or perhaps from a sense of pragmatic contractual obligation. The source scarcely matters. What does matter is that we can identify the numerous forms of duty that pervade our profession, and indeed our very existence as human beings.
Duty to the mission, and to our higher com- mander’s intent. The duty of care we have over the men and women we seek to lead. The duty to uphold both the law and morality in every action we take, every order we issue.
But what happens when our perceived duties are at odds. What about our duty to our wives and husbands, our parents and our children.
What happens when it is the self-sacri ce of those around us as opposed to our own, that aids us in ful lling our duties?
This is where duty becomes complex, becomes dif cult. It is in these complexities and dif culties where a true leader seeks to not only do things right but do the right thing.
After leaving the Chapel the families and guests were free to leave with their loved ones and explore the Academy grounds. It was a very suc- cessful event for us all; the meaning and mes- sages that we all took from the dinner and chapel form part of the RMAS training timetable. Every- thing we do is a chance to learn and develop ourselves; unfortunately it doesn’t always involve delectable supper and singing Jerusalem – but, of course, we sang Jerusalem; no trip to the Memorial Chapel would be complete without it.
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