Warriors between Worlds: Moral Injury and Identities in Crisis

Moral injury is a way to understand how traumatic levels of moral emotions generate moral anguish experienced by some military service members. This project articulates a new key concept, moral orienting systems, a dynamic matrix of meaningful values, beliefs, behaviors, and relationships learned and changed over time. Military recruit training reengineers pre-existing moral orienting systems and indoctrinates a military moral orienting system designed to support functioning within the military context and the demands of combat. This project challenges dominant notions of post-deployment reentry and reintegration and formulates a new paradigm for understanding the generative circumstances of ongoing moral stress and responding to such human suffering through compassionate care and comprehensive restorative support.

Format: Hardback
Length: 130 pages
Publication date: 12 February 2019
Publisher: Lexington Books

The concept of moral injury has gained significant attention in recent years, shedding light on the profound emotional anguish experienced by certain military service members as a result of prolonged exposure to traumatic moral situations. This interdisciplinary field has brought together clinical psychologists, theologians, ethicists, and philosophers to explore the nuances of moral injury and its impact on individuals.

One crucial aspect of this research is the development of the concept of moral orienting systems. These systems are dynamic matrices of meaningful values, beliefs, behaviors, and relationships that are learned, changed, and shaped over time through formative experiences and relationships such as family, religious communities, mentors, and teachers. Military recruit training plays a significant role in reengineering pre-existing moral orienting systems and indoctrinating a military moral orienting system designed to support functioning within the military context and the demands of combat.

This military moral orienting system incorporates new values and beliefs, as well as new behaviors and meaningful relationships. Recognizing the profound impact of military recruit training, this project challenges prevailing notions of post-deployment reentry and reintegration and proposes a new paradigm for understanding and responding to the generative circumstances of ongoing moral stress. This includes recognizing and addressing moral emotions such as guilt, shame, disgust, and contempt, which can contribute to moral injury.

Furthermore, this project calls for increased involvement of religious communities in the reentry and reintegration process, recognizing the role that faith-based organizations can play in providing compassionate care and comprehensive restorative support to individuals affected by moral injury. It also advocates for a military-wide post-deployment reentry program that is comparable to comprehensive physical rehabilitation programs, recognizing the holistic nature of the recovery process.

In conclusion, the concept of moral injury has opened up a new avenue for understanding and addressing the emotional toll of prolonged exposure to traumatic moral situations. Through interdisciplinary research and the development of moral orienting systems, we can better understand the experiences of military service members and develop effective strategies for supporting their recovery and well-being.

Weight: 344g
Dimension: 161 x 237 x 11 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781498554596