Tag Archives: moral compass

General Marty Dempsey: There Are No Atheists in Foxholes

dempsey3Almost exactly a year ago, US Army General Martin Dempsey was the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff — the top ranking uniformed member of the US military and primary military advisor to the President. Known for his humility and his penchant for singing, he was not as publicly known for his faith — something that appears to be showing now that he is retired.

Appearing at Duke University on September 8th, now-retired Gen Dempsey spoke of his experiences with morality, religion, and faith in the US military — including his agreement with the belief that “there are no atheists in foxholes” [emphasis added]:

“You know that thing about ‘there’s no atheist in a foxhole?’ It’s true,” Dempsey said.

“There was none of this, ‘oh my gosh you shouldn’t be praying in your uniform, let’s keep separation of church and state’ — you go into something like Baghdad, you’re going to say a prayer before, during and after.”

The timing was surely a coincidence, but General Dempsey’s Read more

Retired General tells Military Chaplains to be Inclusive or “Get Out”

David Wells, pastor of Pleasant View Baptist Church in McQuady, Kentucky, was recently barred from ministering to residents of a juvenile detention facility because he refused to sign a policy that said he could not refer to homosexuality as sinful. The Liberty Counsel is now assisting Wells as he sues for reinstatement:

“They have not accommodated him and they’re clearly trying to restrict a particular viewpoint,” said Mat Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel…

Staver also said he  Read more

Former Chief of Staff on the Need for a Moral Compass

Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General (Retired) Peter Pace recently spoke at Principia College on a variety of topics, including global security and the need for individuals to stand by their moral compass:

[Pace] warned that everyone should set their own moral compass and stick to it, whether on the battlefield, in a business situation or in their personal lives.

“Your integrity is sacrosanct,” Pace said. “It’s Read more

The Moral Truth of Military Values

Col. Jim Dryjanski of the National War College wrote a commentary in July entitled “Strengthening our core.”  It began with a reference to the charges of sexual misconduct at Lackland AFB, TX, but broadened the discussion to moral strength and failure across the force:

We can expect some necessary actions to be taken, but will disciplinary action or the implementation of recommendations from various independent top-down strategic reviews be sufficient? Probably not, if we as Airmen don’t recognize the moral battle being waged or fail to act from the grassroots-level to strengthen our core.

It is fascinating — and heartening — to see a military commentary recognize that examples of ethical misconduct are a symptom of the moral climate in the US military.

Col Dryjanski asks if “Integrity, Service, Excellence” — the Air Force core values — are “only words:”  Read more

Admiral Mullen: Quality of Work, Personal Conduct Most Important

In a topic related to the prior “moral compass” discussion (in fact, the NDU speech was specifically cited), Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen recently said

What I really think it comes down to is accountability. Within the military, we need to be constantly asking ourselves, “Am I holding myself and those I am responsible for to the highest standards?”

Ultimately, our quality of work and our personal conduct will say far more about who we are and what we stand for than any other thing we do.

So, are “quality of work” and “personal conduct” the defining icons of what the military stands for?

If so, what governs “personal conduct” in the US military?