Ethical and Moral Leadership
in the Military
Saving Private Ryan
Case Study
Part 1
From the Beachhead to the
Village
Leadership Authority and
Responsibility
Were the Orders by Capt Miller:
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Ethical?
Within the Limits of Authority?
Related to Military Duty?
Clear and Unequivocal?
Received and Understood?
Article 1 of the Geneva Convention states:
Persons taking no active part in hostilities, including
members of armed forces who have laid down their arms and
those placed hors de combat by sickness, wounds,
detention, or any other cause, shall in all circumstances be
treated humanely, without any adverse distinction founded
on race, color, religion or faith, sex, birth or wealth, or any
other similar criteria.
The Law of Armed Conflict states:
NONCOMBATANTS -- These people include medical
personnel, chaplains, POWs, wounded and sick,
shipwrecked, parachutists escaping disabled aircraft, and
civilians. NONCOMBATANTS are NOT legal targets. A
noncombatant poses no military threat to us. Therefore,
there is no military necessity (principle I) in targeting them.
“Explain the math of this one to me—
what’s the sense of risking the lives of the
eight of us for just one guy?”
-- Pvt. Reiban
Military Priorities
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1st – Mission
2nd – Higher HQ
3rd – Collateral Units
4th – Unit Welfare
5th – Individuals
6th – Yourself
7th – To Act Decisively
8th -- Community
Mission vs. People
Capt Miller (in response to Pvt. Reiban):
“There’s a duty as soldiers. We have
orders, we have to follow them and that
supersedes everything else.”
A Leader’s Decision:
for the People or for the Mission
a. Group Egoism (to group) -- acts are judged according to
whether their consequences are beneficial or harmful for the
entire group (family, tribe, nation) to which they belong.
Under any form of egoism, the costs and benefits to ‘others,’
outside of the group, or the leader are given subordinate
status or are ignored entirely.
b. Deontological (to duty) -- comes from the Greek word
deon, or duty, since it emphasizes foundational duties or
obligations. A moral obligation that a person has towards
another person. Duties are actions that are due to someone
else, such as paying money that one owes to a creditor.
Right vs. Right -- Right vs. Wrong
“Many of the decisions made in
combat are made on the basis of
consequences…weighing the costs
and benefits of various alternatives.”
-- Dr. Larry Hinman
Part 2
From the Village to
the Glider
“The decent
thing to do?”
Military Priorities
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1st – Mission
2nd – Higher HQ
3rd – Collateral Units
4th – Unit Welfare
5th – Individuals
6th – Yourself
7th – To Act Decisively
8th -- Community
A Leader’s Rationalization
Capt Miller: “When one of your men is killed, you tell
yourself it happened to save the lives of 2, 3, 10
maybe 100 others…We’ve lost 94 men…I’ve saved
the lives of maybe 10 times that. That’s how simple
it is…that’s how you rationalize b/w mission and the
man.”
1st Sgt. Horvath: “Sir, sometimes the mission is the
man!”
Capt Miller: “Well, this Ryan better be worth it—he
better go home and cure some disease or invent a
longer lasting light bulb or something.”
Chaplain (Col.) Maloney’s
3 Ethical Pressures Faced by Military
Professionals
1) Rule-Oriented
2) Goal-Oriented
3) Situation-Oriented
Part 3
Moving out from the Glider to
the Decision at the Bridge
Balancing Considerations
An Unnecessary Risk?
To The Mission? To The People?
Balancing Considerations
“Sir, are you gonna let them kill him?
Sir, this isn’t right!”
– Cpl. Upham
Balancing Considerations
An added twist with the decision:
we later see the freed soldier returns
to fight against them again
Balancing Considerations
Disobeying
Orders/Dissention
When do you fire on your
fellow soldier?
Summary
• Officers Provide “Sanity Check”
– Leadership Authority and Responsibility
– Principle, Purpose, People
• Blind Obedience is Dangerous
– Illegal, Immoral, Unethical Orders
– Dissention/Disobeying Orders
• The End does not Always Justify the Means
– Ethical Pressures
• Balancing Considerations
– Right vs. Right or Right vs. Wrong
APPENDIX OF CHARACTERS
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Captain Miller
Private Ryan
Sergeant Horvath
Private Reiban
Private Jackson
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Medic Wade
Corporal Upham
Private Melish
Private Caparzo
Captain John Miller
• Actor: Tom Hanks
Private James F. Ryan
• Actor: Matt Damon
Sergeant First Class Horvath
• Actor: Tom Sizemore
Private Reiban
• Actor: Ed Burns
• Threatens to walk
away from mission after
letting the POW go.
Private Jackson
• Actor: Barry Pepper
• Competent Sniper
T/4 Medic Wade
• Actor: Giovanni Ribisi
• Killed in attack on
radar station
Corporal Upham
• Actor: Jeremy Davies
Private Melish
• Actor: Adam Goldberg
Private Caparzo
• Actor: Vin Diesel
• Killed by sniper in the
village trying to save
the girl.