An official Department of Defense article notes the importance of empathy in war and its relevance to the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan.  In virtually every war in history each side stereotypically demonizes or otherwise dehumanizes its enemy.  Unfortunately, militaries must move past that division after the war is complete — especially when one military is supporting the establishment of their ‘former enemy’s’ government.

In Afghanistan, one soldier had an epiphany that led him to think more deeply about the people he fights: 

“My very first challenge with being a Marine in the infantry was when we did a [Battle Damage Assessment] on a target that was killed,” said Sgt. Daniel Pluth…”It popped into my mind; that guy, what was he doing a few days before that? What was he doing ten minutes before? Was he drinking tea? Twiddling his thumbs waiting for us to show up?”

The nagging of his conscience has caused [Pluth’s] thoughts to wander to the men he and his peers are called to fight.

While this intellectual exercise may seem odd to some people, it is one means by which soldiers maintain a semblance of humanity during what may often seem to be an “inhuman” conflict.

“The significance of empathy [in combat] is you then begin to put a face to the war and you’re not just going out and hunting after somebody,” explained Navy Lt. Nathan Rice, a chaplain…”I think the importance of empathy is you begin to understand your actions in regard to the mission at hand. Not to question it, but to help retain your humanity while at war.”

Such a philosophy may separate the man who kills for sport at war and the man who kills only because he must.

There is a moral conflict between the necessity of killing in war and the God-given value of life.  “Empathy” and conscience are concepts that need to be addressed to ensure the spiritual fitness of soldiers both in conflict and after it.