Ethics and the Professions - Case Analysis

1. Name: Syed Suhaib

2. Semester: Summer 2001
3. Case #: 1
4. Reference: A Few Good Men (Movie 1992)
5. Summary:
The movie is about two marines indicted for the murder of a fellow marine in their
platoon. Private First Class (PFC) William Santiago died because of lactic acidosis
triggered by the assault inflicted by Lance Corporal Harold Dawson and Private Lowden
Downey. This assault was the result of a direct order by the platoon commander
Lieutenant Kendrick. The order was to train Santiago to respect the Code of the Marines
and the chain of command. Private Santiago had broken this chain and written directly to
the NIS asking for a transfer, in exchange for offering information about an illegal fenceline shooting. When Colonel Nathan Jessep, commander of the marines stationed in
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, learned of this letter, he ordered the training of Private
Santiago. In Guantanamo Bay, this training was referred to as Code Red, which was
defined as the discipline of marines within the unit, by the unit, without involving the
proper authorities - navy Jag Corp. When the navy learned of Private Santiagos death,
Dawson and Downey were placed under arrest, and moved to Washington DC to be
court-martialed. After a thorough litigation by defense attorney, Lt. Danial Kaffee, the
court found Colonel Jessep and Lt. Kendrik guilty of the murder of PFC Santiago
because they ordered the Code Red. Dawson and Downey were cleared of charges of
murder and conspiracy to commit murder, but were found guilty of conduct unbecoming
a marine, and were discharged from the Marine Corp.

6. Normative Ethical Question:

Did Dawson and Downey do the right thing by following the order?
7. Broader Ethical Issues:

The responsibility of the commander to make sure his marines are prepared for any

sort of danger from the enemy.

The duty of a marine to follow the orders of a superior officer.
Acting in accordance with the duty.
PFC Santiago is treated as a means rather than being treated as an end.

8. Answer:
Dawson and Downeys actions were in strict accordance with the orders given to them by
their platoon commander, and were thus justified.
9. Reasons Supporting Answer:
The Marines believe, You follow orders or people die. This was primarily applicable
during wartime when questioning an order can cause the lives of the marine and his
fellow soldiers. Although reserved for wartime, the marines in their day-to-day military
life practice this belief. So when time comes for the marines to go to war, the thought of
questioning an order never crosses their mind regardless of the severity of the order.
Following orders given by a superior officer is a part of the marine discipline, and
breaking this discipline is not tolerated in armed forces.
The order given to Dawson and Downey was to train PFC Santiago. Santiagos
aggravated heart condition was the primary reason of his death, and Dawson and Downey
having followed their order were unfortunate to find Santiago dead in the training
process. Had Santiago been physically fit, he would have in all likelihood, survived the
training.
10. Alternative Answer:
Dawson and Downey should have ignored the Code Red ordered by Colonel Jessup,
and should have reported him to the proper authorities at the navy Jag Corp.
11. Reasons Supporting Alternative:
The training also known as the Code Red was known to have harmful consequences.
There were two examples of the severity of the Code Red shown in the movie: The first
example was that of Private Bell, a soldier, getting nothing but water for a period of one
week to keep him alive. The second example involved a soldier been given a Code Red
for dropping a gun during a training exercise. His punishment was to put glue on his
hands, and have his arm punched for about twenty minutes. Evidently, a Code Red in
military parlance meant punishment in its higher degree. PFC Santiago was known to be
a weak person. Dawson and Downey ignoring the fact that PFC Santiagos condition was
deteriorating still followed Col. Jessups order for Code Red on Santiago. They should
have been aware of the fact that Code Red would cause irreparable damage to PFC

Santiagos health; on humanitarian grounds, Dawson and Downey should have contacted
the proper authorities at the navy Jag Corp for a fair assessment of the order. Looking at it
from a different perspective, Dawson and Downey would have been morally right to have
neglected the order given to them by their superior. However, they were bound to their
duty; overriding their commanding officers orders would have placed their career at
stake.
12. Which facts, if otherwise, would change the answer?
Had there been other superior officers to discuss the nature of Colonel Jesseps orders,
they would have determined the consequences of the same, and would have possibly
come up with a better alternative.
If Private Santiago had not broken the chain of command, he would not have been given
a Code Red by the commander.
If the commander had not found out about PFC Santiagos transfer request to the NIS in
return for offering information about an illegal fence-line shooting, he would have
escaped punishment.
13. Further Comments:
In conclusion, it is evident that Dawson and Downey performed their duty as was
expected of them. On ethical grounds, they would have been better off notifying the
appropriate authorities of the nature of the order and the circumstances in which the order
was to be executed. However, as fellow marines under a commanding officer, they were
compelled to follow orders without looking into the ethical or moral aspects of their
actions. A marines discipline is taken very seriously by his commanding officers;
however, this does not imply that discipline takes priority over the mental and physical
health of a marine. Santiagos heart condition was no secret. Despite this fact, he was
given the Code Red knowing fully well that he may not be able to take the pressure
definitely, an unethical decision on the part of the authorities concerned.