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

3. From the Beachhead to the Village
Part 1
From the Beachhead to the Village

4. 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?

5. 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.

6. “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

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

8. 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.”

9. for the People or for the Mission
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.

10. 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

11. From the Village to the Glider
Part 2
From the Village to the Glider

12. “The decent thing to do?”

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

14. 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.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

21. Summary Officers Provide “Sanity Check” Blind Obedience is Dangerous
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

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

23. Captain John Miller
Actor: Tom Hanks

24. Private James F. Ryan
Actor: Matt Damon

25. Sergeant First Class Horvath
Actor: Tom Sizemore

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

27. Private Jackson
Actor: Barry Pepper
Competent Sniper

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

29. Corporal Upham
Actor: Jeremy Davies

30. Private Melish
Actor: Adam Goldberg

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