The Ugly American Character Analysis

In the words of Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale, USN, “integrity consists of knowing one’s situation through education and thus understanding the limit of your responsibility.” Stockdale, a former Vietnam P.O.W., writes the importance of integrity in “The World of Epictetus.” In September of 1965, Commander Stockdale ejected from his plane only to be captured by the Vietcong during the Vietnam War. In eight years of captivity, the Northern Vietnamese tortured and isolated Stockdale; and in that time, he observed the actions of his men. He witnessed honorable, high-ranking officers cave into their oppressors, while common soldiers refuted any luxuries offered. Stockdale did not solely witness actions, but integrity; how a man acts when

Ethics Theory for the Military Professional by Chaplin (COL) Samuel D. Maloney illustrates the complex ethical decision making process. Army Leaders are responsible for professionally, and ethically develop subordinates. Developing unethical subordinates in a zero defect Army is a leadership challenge. Goal-Oriented Aspirations, Rule-Oriented Obligations, and Situation-Oriented Decisions provide leaders an understanding of the ethical decision making process. The first step to Professionally developing subordinates is identifying, and providing input on all subordinate goals. Leaders are obligated to enforce rules and regulations. Understanding subordinate character provides leaders with the information to evaluate a soldier’s integrity. However,

Once an Eagle by Anton Myrer is a very influential novel in the military. In fact, it is required reading material for all 1st Lieutenants in the Marine Corps as well as in the United States Military Academy at West Point. Many Army leaders have read the book and often discuss it among themselves in social situations. Although a fiction read, many leaders extrapolate the use of mission command as well as the leaderships attributes. In this analysis I will be comparing a single event in the novel to the Army’s leadership principles as well as Mission Command. I will then provide a personal reflection and conclude.

In the book, All American Boys, by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely, Quinn struggles with conflicting loyalties to both his convictions about the incident and his relationships to the people he loves. While he wants to maintain his relationships he can’t ignore the facts of the incident. His friends and family can’t understand why he is so adamant about standing up for Rashad. While some of his relationships are ultimately damaged by his actions, others survive and heal. He eventually learns that being a loyal friend does not necessarily mean always being in agreement and, in this novel, Quinn demonstrates loyalty to both his friends and his conviction even when the two are in conflict.

The award-winning author, Luis Alberto Urrea, creator of The Hummingbird's Daughter, Into the Beautiful North, and The Devil's Highway, describes The Devil’s Highway which occurred in May of 2001, one of many that impacted the desert on undocumented immigrants. which is a desert located beyond Sonora, Mexico. It is a desert which few turn to in able to cross over. A group of illegal Mexican were left for dead after attempting to cross; they were left stranded after traveling for days in the wrong direction, through mountains, desert and only a small amount of water along with a few personal items. The Devil’s Highway name was set out to one’s belief “bad medicine” (5). Even though the desert is an obstacle itself, there are still other physical

“We want leaders that are tough, resilient, that can think, and out-fight and out-smart the enemy. We want them to be adaptive and agile and flexible. And, we want them not only competent, but we want leaders of character.” (General Mark A. Milley, 2015) Character is not a trait we take for granted and most likely have an attraction for, but honestly never had to define when asked about by our superiors and peers. It is a word most Soldiers desire to have their name attached to it, and yet the standards of its realization remains rather vague when spoken about. When the military say that a Soldiers is someone of good character, we mean that they may have many

Special Forces soldiers work in foreign lands with situations which are not always completely clear from its beginning. The Special Operation Imperatives serve as the base for success by providing the framework to develop and assist the host nation in achieving their desired goals. Through this essay I will use the novel “The Ugly American” (William J. Lederer & Eugene Burdick) to provide context to the benefits of applying such imperatives and the consequences of improper application. I will bring to light the actions of the characters and depict the reasons why the application of the imperative made the character succeed or fail in his desired goal.

As individuals who long to have relationships with others, it is vital to consider the underlying character and moral compass that each possess. As evidenced in “The Child by Tiger” and “The Most Dangerous Game,” one realizes the ability for change or controversy of any individuals nature on the service. In Thomas Wolfe’s “The Child by Tiger” and Richard Connell’s “The Most Dangerous Game,” the characters Dick Prosser and General Zaroff differ; however, they both lead lives characterized by contradiction and corruption.

The decision to go to war is not a decision that is taken lightly. In Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien faces cultural, social and political push factors that end up leading him to forgo his plan to dodge the draft, and to report as instructed, a mere yards away from his destination of Canada. In Leslie Marmon Silko’s Ceremony, Rocky and Tayo, two young Native American men, experience cultural, social and political pull factors that draw them into the Army, fighting the Second World War for a country that considers them less than human. The stories of these characters are not unique, they are stories that are representative of the stories of young American men at the time, that faced cultural, social, and political push and pull factors during both conflicts. The purpose of this inquiry essay is to determine what those push and pull factors were, and why they lead these men to willingly engage in two of the most destructive conflicts in human history.

Intelligent, compassionate, and inspirational are three words that perfectly describe the exceptional man that is Dr. Pedro J. Greer, Jr. His life’s work is defined by the medical help and attention he provided to the homeless and downtrodden citizens of Miami, Florida. In his autobiography, Waking Up in America, Dr. Greer recounts two events that charted a career course aimed at working with the poor, and giving hope to those marginalized in the community.

Paul Baumer’s attitude towards authority figures varies depending on whether they serve on the front line or in the rear. While he resents trivial exercises of authority from front line officers, he can still feel respect for those officers. However, when it comes to officers serving in the rear, he only shows sufficient respect to avoid being punished.

* Advise the American soldiers to be wary and mindful of an individual’s inclination to be automatically and unthinkingly consistent. To be cognizant of situations where consistency is being used as a weapon of influence against them. Advise them to listen to their guts or be perceptive of the heart-of-heart signs - the feeling towards something that an individual experiences a split second before they intellectualize about it.

Colonel Hillandale displayed a firm grasp of the Special Operations Imperatives during his time spent in the Philippines and Sarkhan. He recognized political implications better than other members of the American Embassy in Sarkhan. He understood the operational environment due to his diligent study. Hillandale additionally ensured long-term engagement through his actions in the city of Cuenco.

Desmond Doss is one of the most famous U.S conscientious objector in all of U.S military service history. Desmond Doss is known for his brave work at Hacksaw Ridge in Okinawa by single handily saving 75 men by means of carrying them and by manoeuvring them down with his unique rope technique which earned him the medal of honour in October the 12th 1945. Therefore making him the first ever conscientious objector in U.S military history to receive the award. Desmond Doss’s legacy has been shown throughout the ages in television, documentaries and now in the latest 2016 movie entitled Hacksaw Ridge after the real life spot in Okinawa. The movie depicts the true story of U.S serviceman and conscientious objector Desmond Doss in his journey to Hacksaw Ridge. At First Desmond Doss was not fond of people making films or being portrayed in any sort of media because of the inaccuracies that these films might would portray of him because he was deeply focused on his religion and as a seventh day Adventist. But an agreement was soon with him and his firm.

Service members in the military are faced with tough decisions on a daily basis. Despite the difficult situations, the majority of service members will opt to the right thing. However; there are several service members who will elect the easy path and end up choosing the wrong decision, even though they know the right thing to do. I agree with General. H. Norman Schwarzkopf that people know the right thing to do and that it is difficult to execute because of a person’s belief, risky behavior, and integrity.