Page 30 - January Febuary 2016 Issue
P. 30
Wounded Warriors as Army Professional and Tension Between Selless Service and Self-Interest
appointments engenders both a sense of Three solutions are offered to address the
entitlement and scarcity. Exaggerating his back tension between selless service and self-
pain symptoms or bringing up new medical interest for WTU wounded warriors.
issues not related to his injury preserves his
status in the system. Sacriicing integrity for • One approach is changing American
self-preservation does not seem unreasonable, culture and society, speciically the
especially given his current mission is to privatization of American civic life and
prioritize his medical recovery. reducing the power of self-interest groups.
56
However, this is largely beyond the Amy’s
Pellegrino argues that self-interested behavior control and requires the Army to rise above
relects a moral malaise within a profession, conventional morality.
which erodes the moral identity of the • A second approach is to reduce the
professional and the profession. ADRP 1 perverse incentives in wounded warrior
52
states Moral failure by Army professionals, in policies and programs that encourage self-
garrison or in combat theater, devastates the interested behavior. This approach is
57
Army’s standing with the American people unlikely to foster signiicant change in the
and the international community. Army near future. The Walter Reed scandal
professionals must choose to serve daily lead to signiicant Congressional and DoD
according to the profession’s ethic and values oversight of wounded warrior care, leaving
to maintain the American people’s trust. This is the Army with little ability to self-police these
what it means for Army professionals to serve policies and programs.
honorably. 53 • A third approach is to cultivate
effacement of self-interest. Arguably,
58
Moreover, “(t)he WTU population, as a whole, soldiers’ willingness to risk life and limb on
is low density when compared to the balance the battleield demonstrate effacement of
of forces; yet the high visibility it garners self- interest. However, this attitude does not
is due to everyone wanting to do the ‘right necessarily translate to the WTU environment.
thing’ for America’s Soldiers.” As a high As soldiers for life and disabled veterans,
54
visibility population, wounded warriors have wounded warriors will continue to grapple
an ampliied impact on the civilian-military with the tension between self-interest and
relationship. By fostering entitlement and self- selless service. A person of character is more
interest, the Army’s efforts to prevent “another likely to exhibit effacement of self-interest
Walter Reed” undermine the Army’s standing as and choose selless service over personal gain.
a profession. ADRP 1 states that soldiers for life
“remain inluential members of the profession Conclusion and Recommendations
as they assimilate back into civilian life and
live among the citizens the Army serves.” In conclusion, character development in the
55
Therefore, self-interest and entitlement affects Army is largely left to the individual soldier.
59
the Army profession after soldiers leave the As the WTU environment encourages self-
WTU. interest and entitlement, the Army should
incorporate character
30
appointments engenders both a sense of Three solutions are offered to address the
entitlement and scarcity. Exaggerating his back tension between selless service and self-
pain symptoms or bringing up new medical interest for WTU wounded warriors.
issues not related to his injury preserves his
status in the system. Sacriicing integrity for • One approach is changing American
self-preservation does not seem unreasonable, culture and society, speciically the
especially given his current mission is to privatization of American civic life and
prioritize his medical recovery. reducing the power of self-interest groups.
56
However, this is largely beyond the Amy’s
Pellegrino argues that self-interested behavior control and requires the Army to rise above
relects a moral malaise within a profession, conventional morality.
which erodes the moral identity of the • A second approach is to reduce the
professional and the profession. ADRP 1 perverse incentives in wounded warrior
52
states Moral failure by Army professionals, in policies and programs that encourage self-
garrison or in combat theater, devastates the interested behavior. This approach is
57
Army’s standing with the American people unlikely to foster signiicant change in the
and the international community. Army near future. The Walter Reed scandal
professionals must choose to serve daily lead to signiicant Congressional and DoD
according to the profession’s ethic and values oversight of wounded warrior care, leaving
to maintain the American people’s trust. This is the Army with little ability to self-police these
what it means for Army professionals to serve policies and programs.
honorably. 53 • A third approach is to cultivate
effacement of self-interest. Arguably,
58
Moreover, “(t)he WTU population, as a whole, soldiers’ willingness to risk life and limb on
is low density when compared to the balance the battleield demonstrate effacement of
of forces; yet the high visibility it garners self- interest. However, this attitude does not
is due to everyone wanting to do the ‘right necessarily translate to the WTU environment.
thing’ for America’s Soldiers.” As a high As soldiers for life and disabled veterans,
54
visibility population, wounded warriors have wounded warriors will continue to grapple
an ampliied impact on the civilian-military with the tension between self-interest and
relationship. By fostering entitlement and self- selless service. A person of character is more
interest, the Army’s efforts to prevent “another likely to exhibit effacement of self-interest
Walter Reed” undermine the Army’s standing as and choose selless service over personal gain.
a profession. ADRP 1 states that soldiers for life
“remain inluential members of the profession Conclusion and Recommendations
as they assimilate back into civilian life and
live among the citizens the Army serves.” In conclusion, character development in the
55
Therefore, self-interest and entitlement affects Army is largely left to the individual soldier.
59
the Army profession after soldiers leave the As the WTU environment encourages self-
WTU. interest and entitlement, the Army should
incorporate character
30
