Former Joint Chiefs Chairman, General Peter Pace (USMC retired) Addresses Midshipmen Part 2

The 2011 Moral Courage Lecture featured retired General Peter Pace, (USMC) former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The lecture, an annual event, is coordinated with the Ethics course required of all 3rd Midshipmen. Speakers reflect on the challenges and responsibilities of leading men and women in the Navy and Marine Corps.

In his talk, General Pace drew on his own experiences, distilling what he took to be the essentials of success in moral leadership. Drawing on the differences in wording of the oath of office, as compared to the oath of enlistment, he argued that an officer's responsibility is not so much to obey superiors as it is to take seriously the defense of the constitution, and the moral values it embodies. This requires mature reflection on the moral and legal aspects of actions ordered and carries an obligation both to those above and below in the chain of command, to dissent when orders are either illegal or immoral. This requires an officer to exhibit the moral courage to stand up for what he or she believes to be right. Often, however, the task of determining what is right is much more difficult than determining legality. General Pace pointed out that one has to draw upon ones education, religion, mentors, and considered reflection. In the end, an officer has to act his conscience, even if there is considerable personal risk, either to career or life.

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