UnderstandingthePsychologyofCombatintheLawofWar
CDTBurns,Jacob
UNCLASSIFIED
Purpose and Scope
• Purpose:ThepurposeofthisbriefingistoinformcadetsoftheWildcatBa>alionandothersaboutthepsychologyofcombatinthelawofwar.Attheconclusionofthisbriefingtheaudiencewillhaveabe>erunderstandingofthetopicallowingthemtobemorecompetentmilitaryleadersandmembersofsociety.• Scope:ThisinformaEonalbriefingwillbeconductedinthreesecEons.EachofwhichwillcontaininformaEontofacilitatetheunderstandingofthepsychologyofengagingtheenemyincombat,inaccordancewiththerulesofengagement(ROE)toupholdthelawsandregulaEonsofwar.
Agenda
• SecEon1:ThePsychologyofCombat• Fight-or-Flight• Trainingvs.CondiEoning• Proximity• Results
• SecEon2:TheLawofWar• Origins• LeagueofNaEons&UnitedNaEons• NurembergTrials&GenevaConvenEons
• RulesofEngagement• LawofArmedConflict
• SecEon3:MakingConnecEons• Authority&Milgram• ObediencetoPowers• MyLaiMassacre&UCMJ
• Conclusion• References
Sec1on 1: ThePsychologyofCombat
Stress Responses
Fight-or-Flight
• StressresponsethroughtheSympatheEcNervousSystem• SecreEonofepinephrine,norepinephrine,andcorEsol• Increaseofstrength,speed,andpower• Freeze
Posture-or-Submit
Training vs. Condi1oning
• OperantCondiEoning• AformofassociaEvelearninginwhichtheconsequencesofabehaviorchangetheprobabilityofthebehaviorsoccurrence• RewardsandPunishments• Strengtheningorweakeningvoluntarybehaviors
• ClassicalCondiEoning• AssociaEonbetweenaninvoluntaryresponse• CondiEoningofneutralsEmuli
Learning-• AsystemaEc,relaEvely
permanentchangeinbehaviorthatoccursthroughexperience
• ConnecEonsorassociaEonsbetweenevents
Condi1oned responses
• TheNo.1[gunner]was17yearsold–Iknewhim.HisNo.2[assistantgunner]layontheleaside,besidehim,hisheadtowardtheenemy,aloadedmagazineinhishandreadytowhipontothegunthemomenttheNo.1said“Change!”TheNo.1startedfiring,andaJapanesemachinegunengagedthematcloserange.TheNo.1gotthefirstburstthroughthefaceandneck,whichkilledhiminstantly.Buthedidnotdiewherehelay,behindthegun.HerolledovertotaphisNo.2ontheshoulderinthesignalthatmeansTakeover.TheNo.2didnothavetopushthecorpseawayfromthegun.Itwasalreadyclear.
Proximity
• Anindividualsresistancetokillingincreasesasthedistancefromthetargetdecreases.
Results of Stress • Re-experiencingthetraumaEceventthroughthoughts,memories,dreams,orflashbacks• AvoidanceofacEviEesthatremindoftheevent,orrelatedthoughts,feelings,orconversaEons• ReducedresponsivenessorseparaEonfromtheirenvironment,people,orlossofinterestinacEviEesthatwereonceenjoyed• Increasedarousal,negaEveemoEons,andguiltresulEngintroubleconcentraEng,sleepproblems,anxiety,anger,ordepression
Sec1on 2: LawofWar
Origins of the Law of War
• Developedfrom:• Religion• Culture• Policy• TradiEons• Events
“Forexample,intheBible,Goliathsuggestedthatacontestbetweentwochampionswouldbeusedinsteadofusingtwoarmies.Thus:‘Ifhebeabletofightwithme,andkillme,thenwewillbeyourservants,butifIprevailagainsthim,andkillhim,thenyeshallbeourservantsandserveus’”(Gillespie,2011).
League of Na1ons & United Na1ons
• FirstinternaEonalorganizaEonwhoseprincipalgoalwastomaintainandenforceworldpeace• EstablishedattheendoftheFirstWorldWar• TheLeagueofNaEonsresolvedsometerritorialdisputesandminorconflicts• Oneofitsprimarytaskswastoenforcethedisarmamentofcountrieswhosemilitariesweregeingtoolarge
• Established24October1945• ObjecEves:• MaintaininginternaEonalpeaceandsecurity• PromoEnghumanrights• Fosteringsocialandeconomicdevelopment• ProtecEngtheenvironment• Providinghumanitarianaidinfamine,naturaldisasters,andarmedconflict
Nuremberg Trials & Geneva Conven1ons • InternaEonalMilitaryTribunal(IMT)triedindividualsforCrimesagainstpeace,Warcrimes,Crimesagainsthumanity.• FourseparateconvenEonswithaddiEonalprotocolsintroducedoverEme• InternaEonalCriminalCourt(ICC)jurisdicEonoverwarcrimes,crimesagainsthumanity,andgenocide
• Treatmentfor:• thewoundedandsickinarmedforcesinthefield• thewounded,sickandshipwreckedofarmedforcesatsea• prisonersofwar• rightsofcivilians
Rules of Engagement • InternaEonalROEviaNATO• StandingRulesofEngagement(SROE)• Inherentrightofself-defense
• NaEonal,CollecEve,MissionAccomplishmentv.Self-Defense• DeclaredHosEleForce• HosEleActs• HosEleIntent• ImminentUseofForce
• Mission-specificROE• ROECards
• ChangeoverEme
ROE Card
Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC) • FourprinciplesareusedtohelpgoverntheacEonsofsoldiers:• MilitaryNecessity• DisEncEon• AvoidUnnecessarySuffering• ProporEonality
SecEon3: MakingConnecEons
Authority & Milgram • 1961experimenttotestobedience• Influencedbytheauthorityfigure,proximityofthevicEm,&theexperimentalprocedure
Obedience to Powers • CorrosivePower• RewardPower• ExpertPower• LegiEmatePower• ReferentPower
My Lai Massacre & UCMJ • TetOffensivein1968• Lt.CalleyfollowedordersofCpt.Medina• Defenseofobedience• Legallyobligatedtodisobey
Diffusion of Responsibility
Conclusion & Ques1ons
References
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References Con1nued
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