scholarly journals Character in the British army: A precarious profession

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Ian Walker
Keyword(s):  
Code Of Ethics ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
British Army ◽  
Officer Corps ◽  
Army Officer ◽  
Main Emphasis ◽  
Army Officers ◽  
Military Profession ◽  
The One ◽  
The Military

Finding balance between institutional or bureaucratic inclinations and professional ones is a challenge for all professions, but this is especially difficult for the military profession owing to its unique role and the unusual pressures that are placed upon armed forces personnel. The military profession is charged with delivering violence for the benefit of wider society and by morally appropriate means. It is unique among professions by virtue of the authorised use of abhorrent methods and a requirement for personnel to be prepared to die in the performance of their duties. The special conditions of the military profession are further underscored by the supremacy of the mission and group over individual, such that at times institutional imperatives can dominate. The cultivation of appropriate professional military character is clearly a very complex endeavour, particularly when members of the profession must face some of the most challenging conditions imaginable. In this chapter, I shall focus on the British Army to argue that although the British Army Officer Corps is a profession, it must be considered a precarious one owing to an ongoing interplay between institutional and bureaucratic factors on the one hand and a requirement that Army officers exercise professional and ethical autonomy on the other. Moral aspects of the profession form the main emphasis of the chapter since a defining feature of any profession is its ethic or code of ethics (Bayles 1988, Oakley and Cocking 2002, Wolfendale 2009).

Rwanda: Civil–Military Relations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Jowell
Keyword(s):  
Central Africa ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
National Defense ◽  
Mass Violence ◽  
Early 21St Century ◽  
Civil Military Relations ◽  
Practical Experiences ◽  
The One ◽  
Military Relations ◽  
The Military

The army has been a central part of Rwanda’s political system from the precolonial period until the early 21st century and is intrinsically part of the construction and politics of the state. Civil–military relations in Rwanda demonstrate not only the central features of transitioning a rebel group to a national defense sector but also how some states construct their armed forces after a period of mass violence. Since the civil war and genocide in the early 1990s, the Rwandan military has been the primary actor in politics, the economy, and state building as well as in regional wars in central Africa and the Great Lakes region. Practical experiences of guerrilla insurgency and conflict in Uganda and Rwanda, postconflict military integration, and the intertwining of political and economic agendas with the ruling party have shaped civil–military relations in Rwanda and have been central to how the Rwandan defense sector functions. Contemporary Rwandan civil–military relations center around the two elements of service delivery and control, which has resulted in the development of an effective and technocratic military in terms of remit and responsibilities on the one hand, and the creation of a politicized force of coercion on the other hand. The military in Rwanda therefore reflects the pressures and dynamics of the wider state and cannot be separated from it. The Rwandan army is thus a “political army” and is part and parcel of the political structures that oversee and govern the Rwandan state.

Are Military and Medical Ethics Necessarily Incompatible? A Canadian Case Study

2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 639-651 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christiane Rochon ◽  
Bryn Williams-Jones
Keyword(s):  
Medical Ethics ◽  
Code Of Ethics ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Codes Of Ethics ◽  
Core Values ◽  
Dual Loyalty ◽  
Canadian Armed Forces ◽  
Military Institution ◽  
The Military ◽  
Military Physicians

Military physicians are often perceived to be in a position of ‘dual loyalty’ because they have responsibilities towards their patients but also towards their employer, the military institution. Further, they have to ascribe to and are bound by two distinct codes of ethics (i.e., medical and military), each with its own set of values and duties, that could at first glance be considered to be very different or even incompatible. How, then, can military physicians reconcile these two codes of ethics and their distinct professional/institutional values, and assume their responsibilities towards both their patients and the military institution? To clarify this situation, and to show how such a reconciliation might be possible, we compared the history and content of two national professional codes of ethics: the Defence Ethics of the Canadian Armed Forces and the Code of Ethics of the Canadian Medical Association. Interestingly, even if the medical code is more focused on duties and responsibility while the military code is more focused on core values and is supported by a comprehensive ethical training program, they also have many elements in common. Further, both are based on the same core values of loyalty and integrity, and they are broad in scope but are relatively flexible in application. While there are still important sources of tension between and limits within these two codes of ethics, there are fewer differences than may appear at first glance because the core values and principles of military and medical ethics are not so different.

scholarly journals “The British Soldier is no Bolshevik”: The British Army, Discipline, and the Demobilization Strikes of 1919

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 321-346 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Butler
Keyword(s):  
Armed Forces ◽  
British Army ◽  
Political Climate ◽  
Civilian Life ◽  
Daily Mail ◽  
Winston Churchill ◽  
The Press ◽  
The Government ◽  
Post War ◽  
The Military

Abstract This article considers the breakdown in discipline in the British Army which occurred in Britain and on the Western Front during the process of demobilization at the end of the First World War. Many soldiers, retained in the army immediately after the Armistice, went on strike, and some formed elected committees, demanding their swifter return to civilian life. Their perception was that the existing demobilization system was unjust, and men were soon organized by those more politically conscious members of the armed forces who had enlisted for the duration of the war. At one stage in January 1919, over 50,000 soldiers were out on strike, a fact that was of great concern to the British civilian and military authorities who miscalculated the risk posed by soldiers. Spurred on by many elements of the press, especially the Daily Mail and Daily Herald, who both fanned and dampened the flames of discontent, soldiers’ discipline broke down, demonstrating that the patriotism which had for so long kept them in line could only extend so far. Though senior members of the government, principally Winston Churchill, and the military, especially Douglas Haig and Henry Wilson, were genuinely concerned that Bolshevism had ‘infected’ the army, or, at the very least, the army had been unionized, their fears were not realized. The article examines the government’s strategy regarding demobilization, its efforts to assess the risk of politicization and manage the press, and its responses to these waves of strikes, arguing that, essentially, these soldiers were civilians first and simply wanted to return home, though, in the post-war political climate, government fears were very real.

scholarly journals STUDY OF THE MILITARY LEADERSHIP CONCEPT IN THE SLOVENIAN ARMED FORCES

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019, 21/4 (Volume 2019/issue 21/4) ◽  
pp. 75-94
Author(s):  
MARJAN HORVAT
Keyword(s):  
Key Words ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Military Leadership ◽  
The Other ◽  
Main Theme ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
The One ◽  
The Military

The main theme of the paper is the Concept of Military Leadership in the Slovenian Armed Forces, which currently represents the highest substantive and guiding normative act in the field of military leadership in the Slovenian Armed Forces (hereinafter referred to as the SAF). Due to the enormous importance of this field in working with people and the aim of influencing the change of the concept, the paper analysed and compared the concepts of military leadership in other selected armed forces and looked for similarities and divergences, especially in two segments - substantive and normative. On the one hand, we have shown the substantive obsolescence and inadequate normative rank of the Concept of Military Leadership in the Slovenian Armed Forces and, on the other hand, the necessity of substantive updating with concrete proposals and arguments for the development of the Doctrine of Military Leadership in the SAF. Key words Leadership, armed forces, Concept of Military Leadership in the SAF

A Hidden Corner of the “One Health” Concept: One Health, the Military Veterinarian, and Education

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 107-120
Author(s):  
Andrea Győrffy ◽  
Ákos Jozwiak
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Veterinary Medicine ◽  
National Security ◽  
One Health ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Veterinary Services ◽  
Health Concept ◽  
The One ◽  
The Military ◽  
Over Time

Public health belongs to the “One Health” umbrella. As military veterinary medicine evolved, it became embedded in national security. Many armed forces still have active veterinary services, both regular and reserve components. The military veterinarian can serve as an interface between civilians and civil organizations, can handle complex and interdisciplinary cases. Introducing the “One Health” concept both in practice and education has encountered many difficulties. Over time, “One Health” has been judged to be a “buzz word” in civilian areas; however, it is a weighty concept. Its importance is pronounced in military areas where practicing along One Health principles were present before the appearance of the term itself. Nevertheless, military “One Health” has not penetrated into the overwhelming “One Health” literature. Emphasizing the military aspects of One Health not only reveals an obscure corner but might help to regain the proper importance of the “One Health” concept.

Reflex syncope in the UK Armed Forces

2021 ◽  
pp. bmjmilitary-2021-001945
Author(s):  
Iain Parsons ◽  
J Ellwood ◽  
M J Stacey ◽  
N Gall ◽  
M Grundy-Bowers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Information ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Well Being ◽  
British Army ◽  
Royal Air Force ◽  
Reflex Syncope ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Case Rate ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Military

IntroductionReflex syncope is the most common subtype of syncope and, despite not being associated with increased mortality, often results in significant morbidity and costly diagnostics. Reflex syncope can be of concern for certain occupational groups and may be exacerbated by some occupations. Reflex syncope in the military is anecdotally common but the extent in the UK Armed Forces (UKAF) is unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence and prevalence of reflex syncope in the UKAF.MethodsA retrospective search of the Defence Medical Information Capability Programme using prespecified read-codes was performed at defence primary healthcare centres over the period of 1 January 2019 to 1 January 2020. Data were obtained on 76 103 service personnel (SP) (53% of the UKAF).ResultsThe overall syncope case rate for the UKAF was 10.5 per 1000 person-years (p-yrs). In comparing services there was a significantly increased risk of syncope in the British Army (10.7 per 1000 p-yrs) compared with the Royal Air Force (8.6 per 1000 p-yrs) (p=0.0365), SP who served overseas (16.7 per 1000 p-yrs) in comparison with UK medical centres (10.3 per 1000 p-yrs) (p<0.0001), and British Army units that regularly took part in State Ceremonial and Public Duties (15.8 per 1000 p-yrs vs 10.2 per 1000 p-yrs) (p=0.0035). Army training units conferred a significantly reduced risk of syncope (p<0.0001).ConclusionsThese data are the first to define the incidence and prevalence of syncope in the UKAF. Orthostasis and heat are probable triggers, although recruits are potentially protected. These data offer opportunities to improve the health and well-being of SP, with economic, logistical and reputational benefits for the UKAF. Further research to identify personnel at risk of future syncopal events may allow for targeted use of countermeasures.

The Power of Experience? Innovative and Authoritative Leadership Values Among Danish Army Cadets

2020 ◽  
pp. 0095327X2095143
Author(s):  
Morten Brænder ◽  
Vilhelm Stefan Holsting
Keyword(s):  
Survey Data ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Officer Corps ◽  
Military Academy ◽  
Authoritarian Leadership ◽  
Leadership Values ◽  
The Military ◽  
Noncommissioned Officer

Traditionally, the military is seen as an unequivocally authoritarian organization. With survey data collected at the Royal Danish Military Academy, this study shows that that is a qualified truth. Thus, cadets enrolled directly from the noncommissioned officer corps—those most acquainted with the norms of the armed forces—do not weigh authoritarian leadership values over nonauthoritarian ones. Instead, their view reflects that for the experienced leader, the context, and not overt ideals, enables them to choose the leadership tools they expect will prove most effective. On the contrary, cadets enrolled based on their civilian merits clearly prioritize authoritarian values. This is particularly true among cadets returning to the military after a break, former professionals, and former draftees alike. Their view also reflects experience, but a different kind of experience, as they have primarily encountered the military hierarchy from the receiving end.

Myopericarditis: recognition and impact in the military population

2018 ◽  
Vol 165 (6) ◽  
pp. 451-453
Author(s):  
Jessica R Bailey ◽  
A Loftus ◽  
R J C Allan
Keyword(s):  
Chest Pain ◽  
Sudden Onset ◽  
British Army ◽  
Military Population ◽  
Operational Capability ◽  
Army Officer ◽  
Viral Illness ◽  
The Military ◽  
The Impact

We present a case of a fit and well British Army officer with sudden-onset chest pain following a viral illness, on a background of arduous skiing over an 8-week period. This resulted in a 6-month downgrade with no clearly defined plan for return to full fitness and deployability. The diagnosis and differentiation of myopericarditis from other causes of chest pain is reviewed. The treatment and management of myopericarditis is summarised and commentary is made on the paucity of evidence underpinning the return to fitness guidelines. The impact of this condition primarily affecting young fit individuals, commonly exacerbated by viral illness and arduous activity, is discussed in the context of individual employability and operational capability in a military setting.

The Regimental Courts Martial in the Eighteenth Century British Army

1976 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur N. Gilbert
Keyword(s):  
Eighteenth Century ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Military Officers ◽  
British Army ◽  
Crime And Punishment ◽  
Great Magnitude ◽  
Military Threat ◽  
Disorderly Conduct ◽  
Military Law ◽  
The Military

In the eighteenth century, most military crimes were tried at the Regimental level. In theory, the military law of the day decreed that the General Courts Martial be reserved for major offenses: those that might result in capital sentences or lashings of great magnitude. Murder, rape, robbery, and other crimes deemed capital undgr eighteenth century civil law, were tried at the General Courts Martial, as were specific military crimes that seriously affected the ongoing life of the armed forces—mutiny, desertion, and the like. As one would expect, there were many more petty crimes than major offenses. Still, the General Courts Martial books show a surprisingly small number of cases, even in wartime, when the army grew precipitously to meet a military threat.For most soldiers, crime and punishment was administered by the Regimental Courts, yet we know very little about them. There are no Regimental Courts Martial records to speak of and few surviving accounts of their procedures. What we do know suggests that they were very important to those military officers who were responsible for the order and discipline of the British army.Until 1718, the rules and procedures governing Regimental Courts Martial were vague and uncertain. In that year, a modest attempt was made to codify RCM procedures. It was decreed that the RCM could inflict corporal punishment for such crimes as neglect of duty and disorderly conduct in quarters, among others, and that all such trials had to be conducted by five commissioned officers. Conviction was decided by a plurality of votes. Significantly, the oath, used previously when officers were called upon to serve as judge and jury, was eliminated in Regimental Courts Martial cases. As a result, the Judge Advocate noted some years later, “since that time the Prisoner has not had the benefit of that great and I may say, only security to be fairly and impartially tried.”

scholarly journals Approbation of Models and Legislation in Accommodation Infrastructure for Soldiers from Land Forces Army Compatible with Models and Legislation in Member States of the Alliance

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 178-183
Author(s):  
Stefan Filipov
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Military Personnel ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
The Other ◽  
Structural Reforms ◽  
Economic Potential ◽  
Member States ◽  
The One ◽  
The Military

Abstract The membership of the country in the Euro-Atlantic structures, the professionalization of the Armed Forces and their participation in joint operations put the Bulgarian Army in front of the necessity to comply with the rules for communal-household provision applied in the NATO member states. As the resource constraint of the Military Budget, determined by the economic potential of the country, does not allow the construction of new military infrastructure objects, the current models for modernization, maintenance and utilization of the military infrastructure in the part of the communal-household provision of the Armed Forces are proposed. The implementation of the presented models is in response to solve problems in improving the maintenance and using military infrastructure elements. On the one hand, the applicability of the models requires the development of scientifically-based norms and legislation for the communal-household provision of the servicemen and on the other hand, it responds to the requirements for improving the quality of life of military personnel in the context of continuous structural reforms and transformations

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