Canadian Military Ethos

[excoelis]

My discussions in another thread have led me to posting these here in an effort to stay 'on track'.

Any comments from the 'coal face' on the current state of affairs wrt military ethos?

Do you young'uns agree with the last paragraph?

The Canadian Army ethos lists four key items â ” duty, honour, integrity and discipline. The following is the Canadian Army's expression of military ethos:

Within the Canadian army, the military ethos is further amplified and applied in a manner which recognizes the army's unique function and role which, in its barest essence, requires soldiers to close with and defeat an enemy in face-to-face combat. Hence, the military ethos is in part a warrior's code; overall, it is an all-encompassing military philosophy and moral culture derived from the imperatives of military professionalism, the requirements of the battlefield and the demands war makes on the human character. The army's expression of the military ethos is anchored on four precepts which are incumbent on every soldier at every rank level. These are:

Duty. Duty is manifested in responsibility and devotion to Canada; loyalty to superiors, peers and subordinates alike; courage, resolve and competence in the execution of tasks; pursuit of professional knowledge and self-development; use of initiative; application of judgment, intellect and decisiveness; and subordination of self to mission at all times. Duty for leaders additionally entails being aware of and tending to the needs of subordinates.


Integrity. Integrity is ensuring that one's personal standards are consistent with professional values, and being committed to act in accordance with these values. Hence, it consists of ethical, principled behaviour; transparency in actions; speaking and acting with honesty and candour; the pursuit of truth regardless of consequences; a passionate dedication to fairness and justice; possessing moral courage; and most importantly, always doing what is right.


Discipline. Discipline is first and foremost self-discipline. It is a state of mind that instils self-control and, in battle, helps fortify individuals against the corroding influence of fear. It encompasses immediate obedience to lawful orders and directives; a high standard of personal conduct and deportment; and the display of fortitude, endurance and resiliency in the face of adversity. Discipline is essential to success in operations and is therefore demanded of both the individual soldier and the group under all conditions and circumstances. Because it is the sinew of cohesion and the foundation of professional excellence, a high standard of discipline is the most important quality that soldiers must possess.


Honour. Honour lies in being loyal to unit and faithful to comrades; granting quarter to an opponent and respecting fully the law of armed conflict, including treating surrendered enemy and non-combatants humanely and protecting them from harm; adhering to professional values and upholding the traditions of the service; and displaying gallantry, courtesy, dignity, and chivalry in one's everyday actions and conduct.68

One would certainly think that these items reflect Canadian values, but according to Adams69 they only reflect the values of the older generations in Canada. In the age category of 50+, we see respect for historical tradition, authority, and institutions, duty and deferred gratification as key values for 80 percent of this population. All these coincide well with Army ethos. In the baby boomer generation of ages 30 to 49, respect for traditional institutions, family and community and the idea of duty appeal to only 34 percent of this population. For the Gen-Xers (Canadians under 30), none of these values hold appeal. Instant gratification, desire for independence, and hedonism all seem to take priority. Indeed this does pose some problems.

Professor Donna Winslow, Military Sociology Canadian Society and its Army, http://www.journal.forces.gc.ca/engraph/Vol4/no4/military-socio_e.asp

 

[BDTyre]

I guess I'm an older person trapped in a young person's body....

I hold loyalty to family, community, government, etc.  I'm willing to serve our country; I may not like those who run it, but I'll defend their right to make stupid mistakes and mess everything up.

 

[Nat. Cap. Girl]

"For the Gen-Xers (Canadians under 30), none of these values hold appeal. Instant gratification, desire for independence, and hedonism all seem to take priority. Indeed this does pose some problems. "

I'm definitely not one of those... my brother sure is though.
I definitely respect those values... especially Duty and Discipline

what does hedonism MEAN anyway.

 

[drebk]

I see those qualities in people I know, but they also don't apply to people I know (including myself) heh, there are obviously problems in making generic, sweeping, overgeneralizing statements, but i would suppose it is more true than false.

at the same time, it seems to me, that each generation looks at the one below it with their noses turned up, Generation "1 younger than mine" is filled with sex-crayzed, drug doing, <insert negative comment here> while generation "1 older than mine" seems to only remember the good/noble things about themselves

 

[Brad Sallows]

Hedonism = pleasure-seeking behaviour; pursuit of happiness.

I frequently encounter evidence that my values are not congruent with those of the majority of the following generations (or for that matter, my own).

It is a truism that a social order only lasts as long as there are those willing and able to defend it.  In 1939, some people stood up to defend certain values with which they identified, while others who did not share those values quite forcefully did not stand up.  One may imagine a future Canada under threat in which today's (or yesterday's) soldiers could not be bothered to defend the new "Canadian values" and it will be up to those who believe in those values to fight, or be assimilated (and thus acquire new values).

Question to ask yourselves: if your values more closely align with those of the US, would you fight or stand aside if the US attempted to annex your part of Canada, and why?

 

[Nat. Cap. Girl]

I agree that generally my generation is like that, but I'm not.

 

[excoelis]

while generation "1 older than mine" seems to only remember the good/noble things about themselves

If it's any consolation, the good professor was in Afghanistan while I was there.  She definitely falls under the generation that she has painted a rosy picture of.

Draw your own conclusions

 

[Tebo]

Excellent discussion from this and the pathfinder thread Excoelis.   I have no exact idea of where you are coming from or alluding to. I will, however, throw my contribution into the ring and hope it is relevant.

When taken on the macroscopic scale, a predominately hedonistic mindset would seemingly render a country indefensible: the society is incapable of generating persons with the qualities required to field a combat force.   Furthermore, what value is found in duty, integrity, discipline and honour while in service of a selfish, arrogant and irrational body?   Dr.   Winslow's subordinating individual no longer finds a common good to sacrifice for; in a competitive world this loss should lead to national collapse.   Responsibility falls to the society to operate in a manner that bestows these qualities to some portion of the populace.

That's the black and white of my thinking.   In the gray we have technology that may be able to defend a nation better than people soon enough and negate the need for human sacrifice, maybe even end any notion of community based values.   Furthermore, some aspects of individualism serve the forces and the world in a most positive way.   Personal responsibility, earned leadership positions and disobedience to unlawful orders all spring to mind.   There are certainly more gray areas.

Thoughts?

 

[excoelis]

I have no exact idea of where you are coming from or alluding to

Nor do I, I'm in a constant fugue state.

Furthermore, what value is found in duty, integrity, discipline and honour while in service of a selfish, arrogant and irrational body?

Endeavour to NOT be a part of that body.  NEVER condone it's actions. 

To me it's all about realm of influence.  I've come to terms with the fact that I will never run the country.  As a matter of fact there are times when I wonder if I could organise a rum ration in a rowboat 

In my opinion, nobility lies in the effort.  We can sit around and discuss these lofty ideals til the cows come home, but it's all for naught unless we try to make a difference.  Discussing these things is the first step to questioning and asserting your personal ethos.  Then, when you think you have your shit squared away, try to assimilate with one or more like-minded individuals.  Shit man, it's exponential.  In theory, it's so simple they make shampoo commercials about it - and they told two friends, and so on..................... :

Really though, in all seriousness, the military is a hell of a place to start.  You can surround yourself with people who uphold most, if not all, of the same ideals.

I may not change the world in my lifetime, but I'll make every effort to make my own realm of influence fair, just, noble, rewarding, enjoyable, and......if I can be so presumptuous.......... EXPANDING.

The best case scenario is when all of the expanding realms, in their effort to unite, overwhelm those individuals who stand alone in their convictions. 

Who's ever heard of a society of ONE?

Hedonism. Narcissism.  Instant gratification.  They serve the one.

Oh, finally the answer to your original question?

Furthermore, what value is found in duty, integrity, discipline and honour while in service of a selfish, arrogant and irrational body?

DIGNITY