Ethical dilemma paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethical dilemma - Research Paper Example Therefore, they might base on it when making important decisions in their practice. However, like in other professions, there are different issues in the military, which pose a challenge to them in their ethical decision-making. Military personnel are expected to respect life, and uphold high moral standards (Snider, 2009). However, there are incidences, where the army is ethically challenged. I perceive the use of torture by the army as resulting from an ethical dilemma. When the army goes on a mission, they are exposed to insecurity and harm, danger, and attacks from their enemies. Therefore, the military have to be cautious and protective, while bearing in mind that the military standards expect the army to act ethically in all situations. Sometimes, the set military standards might conflict with the attitude of the military. This way, it becomes challenging for them to make an ethical decision. As identified, the military might torture their enemies in order to protect their othe r military colleagues, as a form of revenge, or in order to extract information from them, among other reasons. The military policy, which is important for handling this type of ethic and addressing its violation is found in the military code of ethics, and relates to the battlefield ethics. Here, all military personnel are expected to protect their fellow colleagues, the nation, the constitution, and civilians. The army is also required to cater for the captured enemies by providing them with first aid, and other basic human needs. Therefore, torture of enemy prisoners by the military is forbidden, and the army is expected to treat civilians in a humane manner (Cassey, 2009). Nonetheless, this regulation is not adequate, as it does not provide clear information on what how the army should act when faced with a dilemma. This regulation therefore, expects that the military respect life, including the life of their enemies. However, its failure to offer more provisions, which could ad dress complex issues that might arise, has influenced the military at the individual and group level. For instance, the army engages in torture in order to protect their colleagues. This might be done individually or as a group. Therefore, torture might be undertaken by the army for different reasons, some of which are in line with the code of ethics. Therefore, the regulation on this issue should have come out more clearly, with clear circumstances under which torture is prohibited. In this case, the military will follow their personal convictions. This issue also affects my practice. Therefore, I have a role to play to promote ethics among the military. Although various aspects factor in to cause the army to turn to torture, sometimes it is possible to act ethically without employing torture. For instance, in one study among the US army, findings showed that the army deployed for a long time experience mental health problems including depression and trauma (Ricks & Tyson, 2007). A lthough this might influence the decision-making of the military, it is important that they seek medical assistance when they exhibit these signs. Raising awareness on this among fellow colleagues would help to promote ethics in the military. In another research conducted among the navy, approximately two-thirds of the Marines interviewed, as well as half of the army agreed that they would not report their colleague, who engaged in torture and property destruction of civilians