Moral injury is a wrenching condition that has paralyzed a number of returning veterans, spurring the U.S. Army to look for a path that will complete the journey home for affected soldiers. While battle wounds account for the most visible effect of war, moral injury claims its share of victims as well.
Take the case of Col. Theodore S. Westhusing, a noted soldier who reportedly killed himself as he struggled to deal with perceived corruption during the Iraqi war. Dead at 44, Westhusing was a professor at West Point who had earned a doctorate at Emory University in Philosophy. He was a man known for his adherence to West Point’s strict code of honor. In his suicide note, Westhusing made it clear that a clash between his moral code and his surroundings was causing him intense anguish.
Moral injury has several definitions; I prefer one of the simplest: It is the condition that results when someone sees or experiences an action that they cannot square with their personal standards.
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