FIGHTING ON PURPOSE
Posted byAndrew J. Bibb
September 29, 2022
As G.K. Chesterton wisely observed, “The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.”
“Task” and “purpose” are two of the most foundational doctrinal terms in the U.S. military, yet it seems that while tasks are usually clearly articulated, purposes are often treated as an afterthought or neglected altogether. But purposes provide the moral foundation from which all military action is derived and are therefore critical to success in war. As G.K. Chesterton wisely observed, “The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.” However, if servicemembers are never taught what is loveable about that for which they fight then there should be no surprise if they fail to fight well. This is especially true for a nation with such a rich heritage of national purpose as the United States, founded as it is on sacred truths. Leaders should seize every opportunity to reinforce these truths that constitute America’s national purpose.
When George Washington, who intimately understood this connection between purpose and what J. F. C. Fuller called “the moral sphere of war,” assumed command of the Continental Army, he did so because of he genuinely believed in “the glorious Cause.” This commitment to the cause or purpose, in modern English vernacular, would become the driving force behind his tenacity, endurance, and leadership style. Washington knew that soldiers would endure the hardships of war only if they were given a clearly defined and objectively good purpose. They deserved a cause worth suffering for.
https://warroom.armywarcollege.edu/articles/fighting-on-purpose/
