How can I justify being paid to kill people?

Learn why military ethics matters

As the military operating environment grows ever more complex and the weapons systems available to combatants become more lethal, so too must the skills and education available to combatants evolve if they are to operate effectively within this environment. It is not just soldiers, sailors and aviators that have to make life-and-death decisions or take action in extreme situations – the military medical environment is also increasingly challenging in ethical terms. Combatants must be equipped not only with expertise in the technical use of their tools, but also with the cognitive skills needed to make ethical evaluations and judgements, often in extreme situations. New types of conflict are raising new ethical challenges for protecting those finding themselves in harm’s way.