Moral Fitness: Ethical Education for Marines

The United States has been involved in combat operations for the past decade. Some of the darkest moments in thoseconflicts have come from the ethical failings of some of our service members. The Marine Corps prides itself onmaintaining high ethical standards; however, we are not immune to these failings - as seen by the body desecrationvideo and SS flag photos in Afghanistan. These failings have occurred during times of high operational tempo and havecaused Marine Corps leadership, the public, and civilian leaders to question our ethical foundations and training. Whatcan the Marine Corps do to create Marines who are ethical when it matters the most? Through integrated leadership andethics education in the leadership continuum, the Marine Corps can create a resilient and ethical force better preparedfor the moral dilemmas of combat operations, military service, and life after the military.