ETHICAL ISSUES IN ARMED FORCES

Submitted by: Arun Pawar Abhijeet Singh Karan Chopra Gajinder Yadav (68) (66) (67) (69)

ABOUT INDIAN ARMED FORCES (IAF)

The Indian Armed Forces (IAF) are the military forces of the Republic of India encompassing the Indian Army, the Indian Navy, the Indian Air Force, Indian Coast Guard and various other inter-service institutions. The IAF is headed by its Commander-in-Chief, the President Pratibha Patil and managed by Ministry of Defense A. K. Antony. The IAF is one of the world's largest military force, with roughly 1.32 million active standing army and 2.14 million reserve forces thus giving India the thirdlargest active troops in the world as of 2006, after the People's Liberation Army and US Armed Forces. Auxiliary services include the Indian Coast Guard, the Central Paramilitary Forces (CPF) and the Strategic Forces Command. India's official defense budget stands at US$36.03 billion for FY2011 (or 1.83% of GDP) but the actual spending on the armed forces is estimated to be much higher than that. Undergoing rapid expansion and modernization, the Indian Armed Forces plans to have an active military space program and is currently developing a missile defense shield and nuclear triad capability. The Armed Forces of India possess nuclear weapons and operate short and intermediate-range ballistic missiles as well as nuclear-capable aircraft, and naval vessels. India is the world's largest arms importer accounting for 9% of all global imports and ranks among the top thirty in arms export. Currently, India imports close to 70% of its weapons requirements, with Israel, Russia and the United States as its top military suppliers. The countrys defense expenditure will be around US$112 billion by 2016. The IAF served as India's armed forces in all the country's major military operations including the Indo-Pakistani wars of 1947, Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, Sino-Indian War, 1987 Sino-Indian skirmish, Kargil War and others. India is currently moving to build a 9,970.16 crore (US$2.2 billion) dedicated, highly secure and state-of-the-art optical fiber cable (OFC) network for the Army, Navy and Air Force. This will be one of the world's largest, closed user group (CUG) networks for exclusive use by the million-plus personnel of the Indian armed forces. Following 1962, the IAF has had close military relations with the Russia, including development cooperation, such as on the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA), Multirole Transport Aircraft (MTA), and others as well. India has also maintained close military relation with Israel as well since 1992.

SERVICE BRANCHES
India maintains the third-largest military force in the world, which includes Indian Army, Navy, Air Force and auxiliary forces such as the Paramilitary Forces, the Coast Guard, and the Strategic Forces Command.[The Indian Armed Forces has six branches, which are: Indian Army Indian Air Force Indian Navy Indian Coast Guard Strategic Nuclear Command Integrated Space Cell

Gen V K Singh is the head of army Chiefs panel, Admiral Nirmal Kumar Verma is the head of navy Chiefs panel and Air Chief Marshal Pradeep Vasant Naik is the head of air forces Chiefs panel. The Indian armed force is split into different groups based on their region of operation. The Indian Army is administratively divided into 7 tactical commands, each under the control of different Lieutenant Generals. The Indian Air Force is divided into five operational and two functional commands. Each Command is headed by an Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief with the rank of Air Marshal. The Indian Navy operates four Commands. Each Command is headed by a Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief in the rank of Vice Admiral. The Indian Coast Guard operations are split into 4 regions, each region is headed by an Inspector General or a Deputy Inspector General. The headquarters of the Indian Armed Forces is in New Delhi, the capital city of India. The President acts as de jure Commander in chief of the Armed Forces while de facto control lies with the executive. The Ministry of Defense (MoD) is the ministry charged with the responsibilities of countering insurgency and ensuring external security of India.

DOCTRINE
The Indian Armed Forces have six main tasks To assert the territorial integrity of India. To defend the country if attacked by a foreign nation. To send own amphibious warfare equipment to take the battle to enemy shores. Cold start which means Indian Armed Forces being able to quickly mobilize and take offensive actions without crossing the enemy's nuclearuse threshold. To support the civil community in case of disasters (e.g. flooding). Participate in United Nations peacekeeping operations in consonance with Indias commitment to the United Nations Charter.

RECRUITMENT & TRAINING

Recruitment is through four military related academies. These include the National Defence Academy, Pune, Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala, Air Force Academy, Hyderabad and Officers Training Academy, Chennai. For entrance, one must display that they are both physically and mentally fit to be in the military by written examinations, physicial endurance tests and passing medical fitness tests. After being commissioned,these officers are posted and deputed. They are at the helm of affairs not only inside the nation but also at abroad. The officers are appointed and removed only by the President of India. These officers are accorded high status of the nature of the officers of the Indian Administrative Service. The complete list of institutions training Indian army were listed in Military academies in India section.

ARMY VALUES
Values can be defined as broad preferences concerning appropriate courses of action or outcomes. As such, values reflect a persons sense of right and wrong or what ought to be. Equal rights for all and People should be treated with respect and dignity are representative of values. Values tend to influence attitudes and behavior. For example, if you value equal rights for all and you go to work for an organization that treats its managers much better than it does its workers, you may form the attitude that the company is an unfair place to work; consequently, you may not produce well or may perhaps leave the company. It is likely that if the company had had a more egalitarian policy, your attitude and behaviors would have been more positive. There are certain set of values which are to be inculcated in each and every Army personnel during the time of training and it should be made sure that the personnel follow these values and imbibe them in their code of conduct. These values are: Loyalty Be loyal to the nation and its heritage. Duty Fulfil your obligations. Respect Respect everyone. Selfless Service Put the welfare of the nation, the Army, and your subordinates before your own. Honour Live up to all the Army values. Integrity Do what is right, legally and morally. Personal Courage Ability to face fear, danger or adversity, both physical and moral courage.

ETHICS AS A VALUE
The most important element of all the army values is the ethical and moral code of conduct. It is desired from army personnel to be ethical in every aspect, be it the War-Time or Peace-Time. They must showcase highest levels of integrity and should indulge in activities which are correct morally, ethically and legally. In todays scenario its even more important to maintain high ethical integrity because of various factors which are listed below: Army/Government guidelines. Human right activists and other related NGOs Image of the Armed forces. Media and so on.

So it has become even more important than ever for the Armed Forces as a whole to impart training on ethics to its personnel. In order to promote ethical code of conduct throughout the Armed forces, following measures must be adopted by the senior level executives: Proper training on ethics at the time of induction. Rewarding ethical behavior. Punishing unethical behavior. Periodic training. Senior level executives should try to be role models for the new entrants and their juniors. Appointing proper body for looking into issues related to the ethical code of conduct of army personnel and their non compliance. Promoting whistle blowing.

THE THREE Os
Army ethics is rooted in three Os: owing, ordering, and oughting Army ethics based upon "me-ism" or "egotism" cannot function. Army ethics is about knowing whom and what we owe. Army ethics cannot properly exist without the concept of owing. If we know why we owe what we do, we are able to recognize the obligation, responsibility, and duty which give rise to moral thinking and ethical reasoning. Neither can army ethics properly exist without the concept of ordering. By ordering, it does not mean telling subordinates what to do, instead to moral structuring and ethical priorities. Before getting to the third O, the way to think about the Os is in the context of three Ps: principle (truth-telling and honor) first; purpose (mission accomplishment and duty) second; and people (countrymen, airmen, and soldiers) third. We know that army ethics demands that we look out for more than ourselves. As mentioned, the third O stands for oughting, by which I mean an understanding of what airmen or soldiers should do or ought to do. It is a defence to any offense that the accused was acting pursuant to orders unless the accused knew the orders to be unlawful or a person of ordinary sense and understanding would have known the orders to be unlawful.

. Every time we act, we become what we have done. In a sense, I become what I do, and then I do what I have become. Sensible people do not want to think of themselves as liars even though they may have lied at one time or another. If we think that, by telling a lie, we are becoming liars (not just committing an act), we are much more unlikely to do what we should not do, lest we become what we do not want to be. In this process of moral reasoning, we are, in effect, thinking about owing, ordering, and oughting.

THE THREE Ds
The three Os work in conjunction with the three Ds: We must try to discern the truth; at appropriate times, we declare the truth, as we have discerned it; and then we do what we have discerned and declared (fig. 2).

Persons of strong character are the ultimate resource for any army organization, and they are by definition persons of integrity-- individuals whose actions are consistent with their beliefs. - Col Anthony E. Hartle, USA - Moral Issues in Army Decision Making The three Ds tell us that we have a moral charge to educate ourselves as best we can in light of the truth, to speak up for truth, and then to act in truth. One more D actually comes into play here, for this is a process of moral decision, a word that the dictionary tells us means "the idea of coming to a conclusion after some question, talk, or thinking over." In fact, the word decide comes to us from the Latin meaning to "cut off," for we cut ourselves off from alternatives that we reject as unworthy of what we should do or of who we are. We "cut ourselves off" from deception and distortion, from prejudice and self promotion, from lies and lunacies, and we seek truth. For we cannot act as we should or be what we ought to unless we are grounded in what is true. There are standards and authorities against which one ought to measure his or her life. Without such authorities, one has only the impetus of ones ego as a moral criterion. By the same token, if the armed services have no ultimate standards by which to judge their actions and orders, we court moral and army disaster. If we do not confront the soft relativism that is now disguised as virtue, we will find ourselves morally and intellectually disarmed. - William Bennett - The Death of Outrage

ETHICAL ISSUES OF PERSONNEL

Professionals and non-professionals Army doctors, engineers etc. are considered to be professionals and they are the people who have no issues in getting a career settled outside army whereas the sweeper, cook etc are considered to be non-professionals. So there might be discrimination on the basis of activities one performs. Recruitment Army selection has the maximum number of rounds and it requires attention, maturity and medical fitness. Recommendations During certain stages the army personnel might have to look into the recommendations given by government that might not be feasible or in favour of the army.

ETHICAL ISSUES OF PEACE TIME

The costs and benefits of standing army There is always a debate on the issue that the money spend on Indian National Army during peace time for buying ammunitions and other trainings etc forms a major chunk of our Gross Domestic Product. This money could be used to satisfy needs for food, clothing, medicine etc. The moral issue It is one of the fundamental contentions of army that their costs can be morally justified if they are related to benefits for individual human beings. The main reason has been that the money borne to the army is from these individuals. The pacifists challenge Since self defence against an attack is considered to be justified whereas when there is no attack how the self defence is justifiable. Individual and social defence Sometimes the question might arise Why am I putting my life at stake for others? The problem of security

ETHICAL ISSUES OF WAR-TIME

Human beings have been fighting each other since prehistoric times, and people have been discussing the rights and wrongs of it for almost as long. Here are some of the arguments that have been put forward: All war is unjust and has no place in any ethical theory morality must always oppose deliberate violence. The overriding aim of war should be to achieve victory as quickly and cheaply as possible. If the cause is just, then no restrictions should be placed on achieving it. Terrorists are inherently uninterested in morality, so following any ethical theory of war handicaps those whom terrorists attack. Is it right to start a war, is war cannot be prevented? The usual solution is non violence. Non-violence doesn't just mean not doing violence; it's also a way of taking positive action to resist oppression or bring about change. The aim of non-violent conflict is to convert your opponent; to win over their mind and heart and persuade them that your point of view is right. An important element is often to make sure that the opponent is given a face-saving way of changing their mind. Non-violent protest seeks a 'win-win' solution whenever possible. War must be the last resort. There are differing views as to what the term 'last resort' actually means in the context of an ethical war. The traditional view: A state should only go to war if it has tried every sensible, non-violent alternative first. This is because a state should not put lives at risk unless it's tried other remedies first. The alternatives might include diplomacy, economic sanctions, political pressure from other nations, withdrawal of financial aid, condemnation in the United Nations, and so on. These alternatives should be tried exhaustively and sincerely before violence is used. Another view: Some people don't think that 'last' in last resort refers to the sequence of time. They argue that last resort means that the use of force is ethical only when it is really necessary and when no

reasonable alternative is left. They argue that sometimes it will be morally better to go to war sooner rather than later.This might be because waiting too long would allow the enemy to do much more damage, or kill more people than an early war would have done; or may allow the enemy to become so established in another country's territory than far greater force will have to be used to remove him than would have been needed earlier. If aggressive countries lead to a war. Who is the aggressor? The aggressor is the country that starts the war. But the United Nations definition which is quoted below defines the aggressor more narrowly, as the country that first uses armed force. This definition poses a problem when one country takes 'aggressive action' against another without using military force. If the victim country uses military force in response it appears to be the aggressor and so to be in the wrong according to international law, but morally it may be in the right. Pre-emptive strikes A pre-emptive strike is military action taken by a country in response to a threat from another country - the purpose of it is to stop the threatening country from carrying out its threat. It is carried out before the other side attacks with military force, and so appears to make the side carrying out the strike the aggressor it is usually carried out before a formal declaration of war. The war must be in proportion. There are two ways of looking at this: The goal of the war should be in proportion to the offence. Thus a state should not set itself a goal that is out of scale to the wrong to be righted. So if country A invades part of country B, it is ethical for B to go to war to get the captured territory back, but it would not be ethical for B to go to war to conquer country A and take over all of it. The benefits of waging the war must be in proportion to the costs, so it must prevent more evil than it causes, it must prevent more human suffering than it causes

 The conduct of war. This is the issue of how a war should be fought, rather than why or if it should be fought. For a war to be a just war it must be fought according to certain rules - a war which is just in case can be unjust in the way it is fought, or the other way around. Good intention. A war is only a Just War if it is waged from the right motives. Good intentions could include: Creating, restoring or keeping a just peace Righting a wrong Assisting the innocent Bad intentions could include: Seeking power Demonstrating the power of a state Grabbing land or goods, or enslaving people Hatred of the enemy Genocide 10.Personal or national glory 11.Revenge 12.Preserving colonial power

Lawfully declared war.

CASE STUDY
LT Alioto grew up on a remote Pacific island before his family moved to the US, where they prospered through hard work. He is apparently the only officer in the Army who speaks a language variant called Tagalog D. The lieutenant faces a difficult personal situation. His widowed mother has never learned English and now lives with him. She depends on him to assist in family financial affairs. LT Aliotos only daughter, three years old, was born with a severe physical abnormality which requires four hours of administered exercise a day, a task he shares with his wife who otherwise would have difficulty coping. Now the Army needs LT Alioto as well--for an unaccompanied assignment in the Pacific where the US is building a major new forward support base for naval forces as well as for an Army unit. LT Aliotos language skill, he is told, will be critical in working with some local ethnic groups who are resisting the long-term agreement into which the island government has entered with the US. LT Alioto is considering whether to ask that his PCS orders be revoked for compassionate reasons and what to do if he does submit such a request and it is denied. What would you advise him to do?

RESPONSE
Analysis: The case involves an Officer (Lt Alioto) in the US Army who possesses proficiency in a language critical to a military mission. Not only does he speak the language, but it is his native language and apparently the only officer with these skills. The Lieutenant has been called to duty on a mission that would require his language skills and knowledge of his native culture. The mission would allow the military to obtain a strategic stronghold in the Pacific, yet it is being met with resistance from the local Islanders. Unfortunately, the Lieutenant has hardships at home. He is requesting that his PCS orders be rescinded on grounds of hardship and compassion.

Issue: Lt Alioto feels that his duty at home should supersede his unaccompanied mission to the Pacific and requests that his orders be rescinded so that he may remain at home to care for his family. The hardships Lt Alioto face at home include: A disabled daughter who requires at least four hours of physical care a day. He shares this duty with his wife. His widowed mother, now in his care, who does not speak English and depends on his financial assistance.

Options: A. Allow Lt Alioto to remain in the US, performing his regular military duties, thus allowing him to care for his family. B. Require Lt Alioto to PCS to the Pacific Island and allow accompaniment of his family. C. Maintain the original PCS orders, with no accompaniment.

Possible Solutions for each option: A. If PCS orders are rescinded, Lt Aliotos permanent record shall be flagged to reflect denial of critical mission. B. If PCS orders are amended to allow for dependant accompaniment, payment for dependant travel will not be authorized. Lt Alioto will also be required to acquire his own housing since family would not be allowed to live in US Government quarters. Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) will continue to be paid. C. If Lt Aliotos request is denied, he will be required to complete the mission as stated in the orders with no amendments.

Conclusion: Modern day military duty is optional and based on volunteers. When one takes the Oath to serve, one must do so knowing what could be in store for him or her in the future. Lt Alioto is fully aware that he retains a critical skill that is mission essential to the Army. When the Lieutenants hardships were bestowed upon him, The Army feels he could have resigned his commission, and found work in the private sector that could accommodate his hardships. Instead, Lt Alioto chose to remain in the Army, and serve his country and support missions as needed. The critical language skill that Lt Alioto possesses is needed for an important mission. Since Lt Alioto is an Officer in the US Army, he is obligated to fulfil that duty. Due to constricted funding and potential dangers in the mission area, an accompanied PCS will not be authorized. If Lt Alioto submits a request to have his orders revoked, it is decided that he shall have a flag placed in his permanent record and allow him to resign his commission and be granted an Honourable or General Discharge status dependant on previous or future disciplinary actions. Lastly, it is assumed that Lt Alioto will accept the mission as required. He will be given 30 days to arrange for care for his family while he is away. As unfortunate as Lt Aliotos hardships may be, he has chosen the life of a military officer and must perform his duties to his country as required. Lt Alioto has every right to resign his commission at any time if he feels he cannot perform his military duties.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Military ethics by N. Fotion, Gerard Elfstrom. Case study by Major J. Carl Ficarrotta Military Ethics: Reflections on Principles-The Profession of Arms, Military edited by Malham M. Waki. Conversations with Gentleman Cadet Pranav Seth, Retd. Col. S. Yadav and Lt. Gen R. Yadava. WWW.WIKI.COM. WWW.BING.COM. WWW.SCRIBD.COM.