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Saving Private Ryan Case Study

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: Ethical? Within the Limits of Authority? Related to Military Duty? Clear and Unequivocal?

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Saving Private Ryan Case Study

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  1. Ethical and Moral Leadership in the Military Saving Private Ryan Case Study

  2. Part 1 From the Beachhead to the Village

  3. 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?

  4. 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.

  5. “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

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

  7. 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.”

  8. 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.

  9. 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

  10. Part 2 From the Village to the Glider

  11. “The decent thing to do?”

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

  13. 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.”

  14. Chaplain (Col.) Maloney’s 3 Ethical Pressures Faced by Military Professionals 1) Rule-Oriented 2) Goal-Oriented 3) Situation-Oriented

  15. Part 3 Moving out from the Glider to the Decision at the Bridge

  16. Balancing Considerations An Unnecessary Risk? To The Mission? To The People?

  17. Balancing Considerations “Sir, are you gonna let them kill him? Sir, this isn’t right!” – Cpl. Upham

  18. Balancing Considerations An added twist with the decision: we later see the freed soldier returns to fight against them again

  19. Balancing Considerations Disobeying Orders/Dissention When do you fire on your fellow soldier?

  20. 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

  21. APPENDIX OF CHARACTERS Captain Miller Private Ryan Sergeant Horvath Private Reiban Private Jackson • Medic Wade • Corporal Upham • Private Melish • Private Caparzo

  22. Captain John Miller • Actor: Tom Hanks

  23. Private James F. Ryan • Actor: Matt Damon

  24. Sergeant First Class Horvath • Actor: Tom Sizemore

  25. Private Reiban • Actor: Ed Burns • Threatens to walk • away from mission after • letting the POW go.

  26. Private Jackson • Actor: Barry Pepper • Competent Sniper

  27. T/4 Medic Wade • Actor: Giovanni Ribisi • Killed in attack on • radar station

  28. Corporal Upham • Actor: Jeremy Davies

  29. Private Melish • Actor: Adam Goldberg

  30. Private Caparzo • Actor: Vin Diesel • Killed by sniper in the • village trying to save • the girl.

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