must read for any emergency the excellent article by Philippe Leymarie:
The "spiritual fitness" of the U.S. Army Defense Blog online (Thursday, January 27, 2011).
"man is the primary instrument of struggle"
We learn that U.S. Army has developed a program of "moral rearmament" of his soldiers . By strengthening
5 areas constituting the fighters the U.S. military has made more resilient and thus limit the effects of post-traumatic stress-related commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The 5 areas of this moral shield are
- the physical ( physique ) based on endurance, strength training, intense training and healthy eating (and excelling Performing That in Physical activities require aerobic fitness, endurance, strength, healthy body composition and Flexibility derived -through exercise, nutrition and training .)
- morale or moral force ( emotional ) exercises developing self-confidence and allowing positiver cope with any event ( Approaching life's challenges in a positive, optimistic way by Demonstrating self-control, stamina and good character With Your choices and actions.)
- social : a network of friends sharing the same ideals, which reinforce the confidence in its value in its principles ( Developing and Maintaining Trusted, Valued Relationships and friendships That Are Personally Fulfilling and foster good communication Including a comfortable exchange of ideas, views, experiences and .)
- the spiritual : develop a belief that reinforces the values acquired by the family, social networks and moral strength ( Strengthening a set of Belief , principles or values sustain That person has Beyond family, Institutional, and societal sources of strength.)
- the family : healthy, safe and loving (Being part of a family unit That Is Safe, supportive and loving , and Provides The Resources Needed for all members to live in a healthy and secure environment.).
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Beyond criticism, this traditionalist view established by technocrats from the Bush administration can not fail to arouse, the soldier's morale building U.S. can not remain indifferent if one is interested the themes of human resilience and risk:
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- technology is not everything and best shields in place on the vehicle will not cover the fragility of men ;
- war is a psychological phenomenon and destructive requires that the community of fighters is the most cohesive effort to cope (resilience);
- humans remains the most important phenomenon to win battles (U.S. Army had perhaps forgotten focusing exclusively on technology);
- the resilience of a group is nothing but automatic patiently built (see my post on the ROH: ROH : High Reliability Organizations: High reliability organizational );
- drifts across the (inevitable with the way the Americans know that excessive attacks problems to resolve them), this method can inspire how to recreate within a nation resilience, confidence and national identity reinforced by driving a spiral of anxiety that positivism in values common, shared and recognized (see my posts on this topic, including: Resilience, debate on national identity and the White Paper on Defence and National Security Debate and national identity: how useful? )
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- So it is finally surprising (but the French view is biased) that this program also do not insist on the necessary Reconnaissance de la Nation in the merits of the military mission . This aspect (less pronounced in the United States, where the nation maintains its Boys, in France, where indifference dominates) is essential if the soldier feels understood and supported. If the limits to this understanding are those of the microcosm being asked to create around him (family, social network), it will remain vulnerable will find that when the rest of the nation remains either indifferent or hostile its commitment .
These are some lines of thinking. Once again it is important to remain cautious about the program, which has some excess. What is reassuring is the return to human, after all the excesses of technology.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
- The article by Philippe Leymarie: The "spiritual fitness" of the U.S. Army (January 27, 2011)
- Army's "Spiritual Fitness" Test Comes Under Fire ( http://www.truth-out.org/ , January 5, 2011)
- moral forces in war : Commander's Conference in February 1907 Estienne
- The moral forces: a continuing challenge for the Army (Cahiers du CESAT No. 18, December 2009, pp. 37-38)
- Iraq: resilience, new American creed of the soldier against stress (The point after AFP - 10/05/2010)
QUOTES
" moral factors are one of the most important aspects of the war .
[...] is a poor philosophy which adopts rules and principles to the exclusion of moral forces [...]
Any rule relating to physical forces should incorporate the role played by the moral considerations [...]
physical forces are the wooden shaft the moral forces of the noble metal "(Clausewitz , On War, translation Laurent Murawiec, Book III, Chapter III: The moral considerations).
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" man is the primary instrument of combat and can not be anything wisely ordered in an army, constitution, organization, discipline, tactical, all things are connected like the fingers of one hand, without an exact knowledge of the instrument first, the man and his mental condition at that moment the final battle "
(Colonel Ardant du Picq , Studies on combat , 1868).
" all what is done in an army should aim to increase and strengthen his fortitude " Marshal Foch
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