The first document was obtained in 2005 from students at Loyola University, a Jesuit school in Chicago.
“Leaders can’t hide what they do: that’s why you must carefully decide how you act. As an Army leader, you’re always on display. If you want to instill Army values in others, you must internalize and demonstrate them yourself. Your personal values may and probably do extend beyond the Army values, to include such things as political, cultural, or religious beliefs. However, if you’re to be an Army leader and a person of integrity, these values must reinforce, not contradict, Army values.”
There are seven Army core values outlined and detailed in Army Field Manual 22–100, Army Leadership. The manual introduces them with a rather inauspicious claim:
“When soldiers and DA civilians take the oath (of service), they enter an institution guided by Army values. These are more than a system of rules. They’re not just a code tucked away in a drawer or a list in a dusty book. These values tell you what you need to be, every day, in every action you take. Army values form the very identity of America’s Army, the solid rock upon which everything else stands, especially in combat.”
Army Values
- LOYALTY Bear true faith and allegiance to the U.S. Constitution, the Army, your soldiers and your unit.
- DUTY Fulfill your obligations to the soldier.
- RESPECT Treat people as they should be treated.
- SELFLESS SERVICE Put welfare of the nation, the Army and subordinates before your own.
- HONOR Live up to all Army Values.
- INTEGRITY Do what’s right, legally and morally.
- PERSONAL COURAGE Face fear, danger and adversity.
From The Catechism of the Catholic Church:
“The citizen is obliged in conscience not to follow the directives of civil authorities when they are contrary to the demands of the moral order, to the fundamental rights of persons or the teachings of the Gospel. Refusing obedience to civil authorities, when their demands are contrary to those of an upright conscience, finds its justification in the distinction between serving God and serving the political community.”
