American Warrior Radio

A “moral injury” can occur in response to witnessing behaviors that go against an individual’s values and moral beliefs.  I was first introduced to this concept by Col. Marc Walker of the 12th Air Force and asked him to explain it further to our listeners. Clearly, in war, there are many situations that can cause moral injury. These can include death or harm to civilians, “same team” violence, concealed acts of cowardice, sexual trauma or the inability to prevent death or suffering.  These incidents don’t happen only in combat – Marc shares examples he witnessed while maintaining equipment. While moral injury has been with us since the beginning of time, it wasn’t until recently that it began to be examined through current psychological lenses.  It is estimated that there is a 50-65% moral distress rate among service members. While one would think it disproportionally impacts younger persons who have not have as much exposure to the world, Marc says it is more common in senior service members as they take o