Command and General Staff College Foundation News - 18

FEATURE

PHOTOS BY MARK H. WIGGINS

Dr. Shannon E.
French delivers
the keynote
lecture during
the 2017 Fort
Leavenworth
Ethics
Symposium.

The Ethics of Future Warfare
by Mark H. Wiggins, Managing Editor
PHOTOS BY MARK H. WIGGINS

The 2017 Fort Leavenworth Ethics
Symposium was conducted April 24-25,
2017 at the Lewis and Clark Center
on Fort Leavenworth. This year's theme
was "The Ethics of Future Warfare"
- an exploration of the changing and
unchanging nature of future warfare.
One unchanging aspect discussed
during the symposium was personal
"character." Character is viewed as
foundational to a leader's capacity to
successfully navigate the shifting ethical
terrain presented by constantly changing
technologies and situations. Participants
at the symposium had the opportunity to
explore the effect of character in leadership
and the ethical impact of technologies and
their employment on the battlefield.
Day 1 began with remarks from Lt. Gen.
Michael Lundy in Eisenhower Hall. Lundy
set the stage for the students and guests
attending the symposium. After Lundy's
remarks, Dr. James Crupi, president
and founder of Strategic Leadership
Solutions, Inc., presented "Character:
The Foundation of Leadership." After the
Eisenhower Hall session, the panels and
18 - CGSC FOUNDATION NEWS

breakout sessions began.
This year's symposium format was a bit
different in that rather than signing up for
the symposium as an elective course, all
CGSOC students were required to attend.
This made the job for Chaplain (Major)
Jeff McKinney, the ethics instructor for
CGSC's Department of Command and
Leadership (DCL) who organizes the
symposium, a bit more challenging in
that he had to plan to accommodate
all the students in the class versus just
150 or so that would have been in the
elective course version. As a result, there
were three panels, each conducted twice
during day one of the symposium, while
there were 27 breakout sessions being
conducted concurrently. The breakout
sessions were each conducted twice in
the morning and twice in the afternoon
of day one. Students and guest attendees
had plenty of choice for which panels and
breakouts they wanted to attend. Day one
ended with a social hosted by the CGSC
Foundation.
The highlight of day two of the
symposium was the keynote lecture

delivered by Dr. Shannon French, the
newly appointed General Hugh Shelton
Distinguished Visiting Professor of
Ethics. (see sidebar article). Dr. French
spoke about the "Warrior Ethos" and
answered questions from the attendees
afterward.
During the conclusion of the symposium
Chaplain McKinney and Director of DCL
Dr. Ted Thomas, along with Foundation
CEO Doug Tystad, recognized the panel
presenters with Foundation coins and
the breakout session presenters received
CGSC branded coffee mugs. The key
presentations were to the two best papers
presented. CGSC student Maj. Francisco
Hernandez won the $300 first prize for
his paper "A Leader's Duty in Tragedy
and Loss." CGSC faculty member Dr.
Richard Berkebile won the $150 second
prize for his paper entitled "Secession and
Jus Ad Bellum."
Visit https://flic.kr/s/aHskTJ7Fyp for
all the photos from day one of the
symposium; day 2 photos are at
https://flic.kr/s/aHskVRDYVf
www.cgscfoundation.org
https://flic.kr/s/aHskTJ7Fyp https://flic.kr/s/aHskVRDYVf http://www.cgscfoundation.org
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Command and General Staff College Foundation News
