Saving Private RyanCase Study

Ethical and Moral Leadership

in the Military

From the Beachhead to From the Beachhead to the Villagethe Village

Part 1Part 1

Leadership Authority and Responsibility

Were the Orders by Capt Miller:

• 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 PrioritiesMilitary Priorities

• 1st – Mission• 2nd – Higher HQ• 3rd – Collateral Units• 4th – Unit Welfare• 5th – Individuals• 6th – Yourself• 7th – To Act Decisively• 8th -- Community

Mission vs. PeopleMission 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.   Group Egoism (to group)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)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.

A Leader’s Decision: A Leader’s Decision: for the for the PeoplePeople or for the or for the

MissionMission

“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

Right vs. Right -- Right vs. WrongRight vs. Right -- Right vs. Wrong

From the Village to From the Village to

the Glider the Glider

Part 2Part 2

“The decent thing to do?”

Military PrioritiesMilitary Priorities

• 1st – Mission• 2nd – Higher HQ• 3rd – Collateral Units• 4th – Unit Welfare• 5th – Individuals• 6th – Yourself• 7th – To Act Decisively• 8th -- Community

A Leader’s RationalizationA 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

Moving out from the Glider to Moving out from the Glider to the Decision at the Bridgethe Decision at the Bridge

Part 3Part 3

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

Balancing Considerations

An added twist with the decision:we later see the freed soldier returns

to fight against them again

Disobeying Orders/Dissention

When do you fire on your fellow soldier?

Balancing Considerations

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• Captain Miller• Private Ryan• Sergeant Horvath• Private Reiban• Private Jackson

• 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 afterletting 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 thevillage trying to savethe girl.