Paper: Ethic, Not Weapons, Remains Army’s ‘Greatest Asset’
Paper: Ethic, Not Weapons, Remains Army’s ‘Greatest Asset’

As the Army advances its plan to confront modern warfare with technology, its most powerful weapon is its code of ethics, according to the author of a new paper published by the Association of the U.S. Army.
“Our Army’s greatest asset is not the sophisticated machinery it deploys nor the advanced weaponry it commands. Instead, it is an intangible force,” writes Maj. Ryan Crayne. “The moral code binding Soldiers to their purpose and to a higher standard of conduct is known as the Army Ethic.”
In his paper, “Our Most Powerful Weapon: The Army Ethic,” Crayne points out that the Army ethic is “deeply rooted” in the principles outlined in Army doctrine, which provides a moral compass for every soldier and defines what it means to serve honorably and ethically in the modern military.
The doctrine “does not simply guide individual behavior but rather serves to enable a cohesive force, strengthening the Army as both a lethal and capable fighting unit and as a unified institution dedicated to protecting and upholding the democratic values of American society,” Crayne writes.
Army Doctrine Publication 6-22, Crayne notes, is a broad framework that spells out essential moral and ethical responsibilities for military service and is not simply a collection of rules or standards.
“The Army Ethic, as articulated in ADP 6-22, remains the U.S. Army’s greatest asset, even when compared to the technology and weaponry of the modern operating environment,” he writes.
As a lieutenant on assignment in Afghanistan, he writes, he saw firsthand that “our ethical conduct in war was paramount, reigning supreme over any tactical or strategic advantage” that could be brought to bear with weapons alone.
A soldier’s oath to the Constitution “binds soldiers” to uphold the nation’s democratic principles and the rule of law and not to pledge loyalty to any one leader, Crayne writes.
Crayne, an Army marketing and behavioral economics officer, has served in leadership roles in the 1st Infantry Division, the 75th Ranger Regiment and the 82nd Airborne Division. He is a fellow with the LTG (Ret.) James M. Dubik Writing Fellows Program, and he is a senior instructor in the Simon Center for the Professional Military Ethic at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York.
His paper is part of AUSA’s new Harding Papers series, which was launched in conjunction with the Army’s Harding Project, an initiative that aims to revitalize scholarship and writing across the force. The Harding Papers exclusively highlight the work and scholarship of Dubik Writing Fellows.
While the Army ethic has strengths, Crayne notes, there are “significant dangers” when an Army fails to uphold its ethical standards.
“The argument against self-imposed just war in an unjust world has been long debated, but its answer lies in our founding principles,” according to Crayne. “Without ethical constraints, we lose control over our most powerful weapon—the moral legitimacy of the American Soldier’s actions, purpose and mission.”
Read the full paper here.