Posted on Jun 13, 2015
CH (COL) Geoff Bailey
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Can inaction in the face of perceived evil create moral injury? Is it more aggravated in situations where cultural norms deviate from Western norms and culture?

http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/06/12/when-the-hardest-thing-is-doing-nothing-moral-injury-caused-by-inaction-in-war
Posted in these groups: Iraq war Warfare78568930 PTSDEthics logo Ethics
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1SG Civil Affairs Specialist
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Absolutely.
Many people react to extreme situations by doing nothing, for fear of making a mistake. The guilt at their inaction, particularly if there were heavy consequences, can definitely mess you up.
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Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
9 y
Concur 100%. Rerunning the situation over and over again through your head.

I do that for little screw ups. I can't imagine much bigger ones.
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MSgt Security Business Analyst
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Edited 9 y ago
Well, we teach our subordinates to not be bystanders when they see something wrong. So, what;s the difference? Can we have it both ways?

We should not be told to not do anything when we see wrong doings. This is regardless of where we are, what we are doing, and if it is on the battle field or in garrison.

She allowed a crime to take place and she also allowed a child to be harmed. She should have done something. Even if it was a warning shot, screaming to them, or something. I would have fought for any of my Airmen if they would have shot that scumbag. To save a life we sometimes have to take one. Her inactions should haunt her for the rest of her life.
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Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
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My first thought was "hell yes."

I've spent far more of my life thinking "I should have done X" than "I shouldn't have."

I generally regret active decisions less than passive decisions. Making an active decision closes possibilities. You ask yourself what you could have done differently. Making a passive decision, forces you to ask yourself what you could have done at all.
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MSgt Security Business Analyst
MSgt (Join to see)
9 y
Sgt, As long as you acted or reacted to an action do not armchair quarterback yourself. Your actions came from your training and how you were raised. We do what we can to bring as many of our "kids" home and save as many lives as we can.
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Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
9 y
MSgt (Join to see) I look at it the opposite. Can I do better next time? Can I prevent a next time. Can I record this somewhere so that someone else won't have the same issues I had? Knowledge doesn't belong to us, we're just its caretakers until we can pass it onto the next person who can share the load.
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