From B-GL-300-000/FP-000 Canada's Army
The Military Virtues
Truth
Duty
Loyalty
Sacrifice
Trust
Competence
Initiative
Good Example
Ability to Inspire
Military Ethos
The Army's Expression of the Military Ethos. Within
the Canadian army, the military ethos is further amplified and
applied in a manner which recognizes the army's unique function
and role which, in its barest essence, requires soldiers to
close with and defeat an enemy in face to face combat. Hence,
the military ethos is in part a warrior's code; overall, it is an allencompassing
military philosophy and moral culture derived from
the imperatives of military professionalism, the requirements of
the battlefield and the demands war makes on the human character.
The army's expression of the military ethos is anchored on
four precepts which are incumbent on every soldier at every rank
level. These are:
Duty. Duty is manifested in responsibility and devotion to
Canada; loyalty to superiors, peers and subordinates alike;
courage, resolve and competence in the execution of tasks;
pursuit of professional knowledge and self-development;
use of initiative; application of judgement, intellect and
decisiveness; and subordination of self to mission at all
times. Duty for leaders additionally entails being aware
of and tending to the needs of subordinates.
Integrity. Integrity is ensuring that one's personal standards
are consistent with professional values, and being committed to act in accordance with these values. Hence, it
consists of ethical, principled behaviour; transparency in
actions; speaking and acting with honesty and candour; the
pursuit of truth regardless of consequences; a passionate
dedication to fairness and justice; possessing moral courage;
and most importantly, always doing what is right.
Discipline. Discipline is first and foremost self-discipline.
It is a state of mind which instils self-control and, in battle,
helps fortify individuals against the corroding influence of
fear. It encompasses immediate obedience to lawful orders
and directives; a high standard of personal conduct and
deportment; and the display of fortitude, endurance and
resiliency in the face of adversity. Discipline is essential to
success in operations and is therefore demanded of both
the individual soldier and the group under all conditions and
circumstances. Because it is the sinew of cohesion and
the foundation of professional excellence, a high standard
of discipline is the most important quality that soldiers
must possess.
Honour. Honour lies in being loyal to unit and faithful to
comrades; granting quarter to an opponent and respecting
fully the law of armed conflict, including treating surrendered
enemy and non-combatants humanely and protecting them
from harm; adhering to professional values and upholding
the traditions of the service; and displaying gallantry, courtesy,
dignity, and chivalry in one's everyday actions and conduct.
Importance of the Military Ethos.
Maintaining the military
ethos is critical to the army's effectiveness in war and its readiness
and preparedness in peace. If this ethos is absent, poorly
developed, or allowed to erode, the army is seriously harmed. The
willingness of its members to embrace unlimited liability becomes
undermined, and their understanding of what constitutes true military
professionalism, distorted. Standards of leadership, discipline,
and operational readiness and effectiveness also seriously decline.
Neglect of the military ethos further encourages soldiers to see
military service as a job while focusing on self-serving interests
instead of the obligations of the profession. Equally serious is the
potential for a rogue form of the military ethos to arise which is
divorced from responsibility and focused on erroneous concepts
of elitism and honour, leading in turn to ill-discipline and breakdown
of professional and ethical values. When individuals and
units fail to live up to the expectations of the military ethos, they
are unable to perform to the standard demanded and risk failure
or defeat when committed to operations. Moreover, the public
confidence and trust, so crucial for armed forces in a democracy,
becomes seriously weakened, and the credibility and legitimacy
of units so affected, called into question.
