Fall 2010 VADM STOCKDALE CENTER FOR ETHICAL LEADERSHIP Inside this issue: Experts meet to discuss the ethical ramifications of emerging military tech- Taking Stock nologies. Capstone Seminars allow midshipmen to grapple with complex leadership, ethical, and moral issues. McCain Conference Tackles Ethics of Emerging Military Speaker T.X. Hammes poses ethical dilemmas to Technologies audience. The Stockdale Center’s annual service academies, staff colleges, weapons capable of independently McCain Conference on Ethics and and war colleges. With the help of identifying and striking targets; Volgenau Seminar debuts Military Leadership marked its expert speakers and panelists, these soldier enhancements that promise, with veteran news reporter tenth anniversary on April 22–23, educators explored the complex for example, pharmacologically- as featured speaker. 2010 by assembling a world-class topic of ethics and emerging induced improvements in strength team of experts to discuss the military technologies. They then and cognition; non-lethal weapons The Center’s Operating promises and potential pitfalls of returned to their institutions with such as the Area Denial System; Fund supports important cutting-edge military technologies. fresh ideas for their curricula. and “non-kinetic” cyber attack initiatives. This year’s theme—which coincided capabilities able to create a host of with the resident fellowship Also represented at the conference direct and indirect effects. Col Art Athens writes program’s year of research—was were leaders from the Office of the about living and leading in “New Warriors and New Weapons: Secretary of Defense, the Defense While the first panel, consisting adversity. The Ethical Ramifications of Advanced Research Projects of engineers and program Emerging Military Technologies.” Agency (DARPA), all U.S. service managers, described current and headquarters, civilian universities, future applications of these four Established through a gift from think tanks, industry, and ethics technologies, subsequent panelists Mark your calendar Mrs. Cindy McCain in honor of faculty from Canadian and French and speakers examined possible Senator John McCain (USNA military academies. ethical and legal ramifications, with for these Fall 2010 Class of 1958), the invitation-only an emphasis on possible problems events: conference is attended primarily The conference focused on four and solutions. Concluding each by military and civilian faculty in emerging and consequential day were lively breakout discussions October 28 ethics, leadership, and character military technologies: unmanned where attendees formulated policy development from all of the nation’s systems, including autonomous and educational recommendations. Moral Courage Lecture— CAPT Dick Couch, USN (Ret.) USNA Class of 1967. Former Capstone Seminars Develop Future Leaders Navy SEAL and author and The seminar has evolved with the motivational speaker The Officership Capstone Seminars everything together. They use all support USNA’s mission by giving their experience and all they’ve years and changing technology. learned in leadership courses and Each session taps into a different November 8 midshipmen first-class a chance to discuss complex leadership, out in the Fleet to solve ethical mode of learning. The midshipmen Volgenau Honor, Courage, ethical, and moral issues—to problems.” begin by exploring the tension Commitment Seminar — prepare them as leaders when they between truth and loyalty in Last James Donald, former CEO of are commissioned in the Navy and The seminar program is primarily Call, an interactive simulation Starbucks Marine Corps. funded by the Elliott family in developed by the Stockdale Center. honor of their son, Ensign John They play the role of Brian, a young CAPT James Campbell, the Class Robert Elliott, who had just officer who has to make tough of 1972 Distinguished Military graduated from USNA in 2000 decisions in real time when faced Professor for Character Education when he was killed by a drunk with the actions of a friend and and a Senior Fellow at the Stockdale driver. Additional support is fellow officer. Depending on what Center, developed the program. provided from the USNA Class of the midshipmen decide, the story CAPT Campbell explained that 1970. The first seminar took place goes off in different directions. Capstone is well-named: “It’s on September 11, 2001. New this year are “clickers,” devices the crowning piece that holds that record the decisions each Continued on page 2 Taking Stock Page 2 Capstone Seminars Develop Future Leaders Continued from page 1 midshipman makes as Brian. solve problems. In the character workshop, each community share the expectations The Capstone Seminars have provided midshipmen assess themselves as leaders and for a junior officer in the first year. The the opportunity for the Stockdale identify areas for future work. case study explores the decisions made Center to conduct short- and long- by a Marine pilot following a tragic term assessments on the effectiveness An inspirational guest speaker also addresses event in Aviano, Italy in 1998 in which of Last Call in teaching ethical decision the midshipmen. Colonel Athens, the Center 21 international vacationers were killed making. The studies have all been Director, often serves as the Capstone guest after the plane he was navigating hit a ski positive, reported Dr. Elizabeth speaker. He talks about the 3 C’s of leadership: gondola wire. Holmes, the Center’s Director for competence, courage, and compassion. As he Assessment. “Midshipmen find this mentioned in the last issue of Taking Stock, CAPT Campbell focuses on getting innovative technology to be both Colonel Athens enjoys the opportunity, “to midshipmen to recognize the impact engaging and memorable.” influence 1/C midshipmen as they consider how of their decisions. “As they gain more they will lead their Sailors and Marines.” experience, what they do will have larger In another session, midshipmen read and larger ripple effects, for good or for short cases about service members with The last session focuses on experiential learning. ill. When they understand that, it’s the problems. Senior enlisted facilitators It features either a panel of junior officers or a most rewarding part of my job.” overview the available resources to case study. On the panel, junior officers from Speaker Poses Ethical Dilemmas to Midshipmen Colonel Thomas X. During his 30 years in the Marine Corps, answers, Colonel Hammes posed a series Hammes, USMC Colonel Hammes served at all levels in of questions about the dilemmas that (Ret.) addressed the Operating Forces. He participated in young officers may face. These ranged midshipmen for the stabilization operations in Somalia and trained from the metrics of a counterinsurgency Stutt lecture on March counter-insurgents in various places. Currently operation, to relationships with locals and 24, 2010 about ethical a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for the loyalty owed to an Afghan National challenges in times of National Strategic Studies at National Defense Army soldier fighting beside you, to Col Hammes persistent conflict. University, Hammes is also the author of The explaining the ethical lapses of senior Sling and the Stone: On War in the Twenty-first officers to the troops one leads. In many The Stutt lecture is endowed in honor Century. of these morally ambiguous situations, of Mr. William C. Stutt (USNA Class Hammes explained that the midshipmen of 1949) and his wife Carolyn and Colonel Hammes began by telling midshipmen: would find themselves “looking for the least bad answer.” coordinated by the Stockdale Center. “I am convinced that ethics is a core subject for an officer. As a professional officer, it will Every spring, distinguished speakers be at the heart of everything you do.” He then He closed with the thought that one’s address midshipmen third-class who are focused on the ethical tension between loyalty actions are everything. As Ralph Waldo enrolled in the Academy’s core ethics and doing the right thing, using a series of Emerson said, “What you do speaks so course, NE203. examples. Rather than giving hard-and-fast loudly that I cannot hear what you say.” Hail and Farewell The Stockdale Center welcomes Jeremy Toton. LCDR Martin will also be in LCDR Michael Rak as the new the reserves with VP 62 P-3 squadron out of Associate Director. LCDR Rak is a NAS Jacksonville. surface warfare officer with 13 years of experience. He served as an aide to What struck LCDR Martin most about his the Commander, Naval Surface Force, time here were the people: “Working for Atlantic before coming to the Stockdale Colonel Athens and Lieutenant Colonels Hall, Center. Benson, and Healey gave me the chance to learn from great leaders. Our staff is passionate LCDR Douglas Martin (USNA Class of about the Center’s mission, and they take care 2000), the former Associate Director, is of each other.” He will also remember all joining ReefPoint LLC, a management the midshipmen from the classroom and the consulting firm in Annapolis that rugby pitch and added, “I can say with great Col Athens congratulates Douglas Martin on his specializes in decision analytics and risk confidence that they taught me much more promotion to LDCR. management. The firm was started by than I taught them—our country is in great his USNA classmates Chris Landon and hands.” Fall 2010 Page 3 First Volgenau Luncheon Features Veteran Reporter The Stockdale Center’s new seminar national security issues. From 2003 to 2006, she her post-traumatic stress, crediting series, the Volgenau Honor, Courage, worked primarily in Iraq. a psychologist and endless hours of Commitment Luncheon Seminar, talking with keeping her symptoms from In May 2006, she was severely injured in a car started on April 27, 2010. This series developing into a disorder. bomb that hit her team while covering a 4th ID of seminars is made possible by the patrol in Baghdad. That bombing killed the generosity of Dr. Ernst (USNA Class of U.S. Army Captain her team was filming—James 1955) and Sara Volgenau.