Enlisting to serve in the U.S. military is an enormous act of trust in the U.S. government and its military officers. Troops swear "to obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me" (as long as the orders are not clearly illegal or immoral). They do not know which presidents and officers will command them.
The function of our military is to kill (or use the threat of killing) to defend our Constitution and protect American lives, after all non-lethal means have failed. Killing enemy combatants in a just war, while morally justified and right in the situation, can incur moral injuries because killing a fellow human is a grave moral act. Killing non-combatants in unjust military operations, as we should expect, magnifies the potential moral trauma.
Our government and our military leaders must be worthy of the enormous trust our troops have placed in them. They must be conscientious about ordering them to kill only in morally justified operations.
Overall, what should soldiers rightly expect from their leaders in time of war?
From their military leaders, soldiers deserve competence and character, including a deep commitment to fighting justly.
From their political leaders, soldiers deserve a just war and a relentless commitment to victory.
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