Military Obedience: The Psychological Conditioning of Soldiers
Kenya's current situation, with planned peaceful protests against the 2024 Finance Bill, highlights the importance of understanding the psychology behind military personnel. The president's deployment of the Kenya Defence Forces underscores why soldiers, despite being part of our communities, may act with unwavering obedience, often putting aside personal convictions. This article delves into the military mindset, using social psychology and research to explain why appeals to humanity might not always be the most effective approach.
The Military Mindset: Obedience Over Conscience
The psychology of military personnel is a fascinating and complex field that delves into the intricate processes by which individuals are transformed into effective soldiers. This transformation is characterized by a strong sense of brotherhood, cult-like loyalty, and a form of psychological conditioning that enables soldiers to set aside personal conscience, feelings, and beliefs to follow orders.
Brotherhood and Cult-Like Loyalty
1. The Creation of Brotherhood:
Brotherhood in the military is not just a metaphor but a deeply ingrained social bond. This bond begins in basic training, where individuals from diverse backgrounds are brought together and subjected to a shared experience of hardship and challenge. This process fosters a sense of unity and reliance on each other for survival and success.
Shared Hardship: The grueling nature of basic training and subsequent military exercises creates a strong sense of shared hardship. This common experience forges bonds similar to those found in familial relationships.
Trust and Dependence: Soldiers must trust and depend on their comrades in life-and-death situations. This trust is built through rigorous training and real-world experiences where the actions of one individual can mean the difference between life and death for another.
2. Cult-Like Loyalty:
Loyalty in the military can take on aspects akin to cult-like behavior. This loyalty is often directed not only towards comrades but also towards the institution and its leaders.
Rituals and Symbols: The military employs various rituals and symbols that reinforce loyalty. Ceremonies, uniforms, insignias, and oaths are designed to create a sense of belonging and commitment to the group.
Ideological Indoctrination: Soldiers are often indoctrinated with the values and mission of the military organization. This indoctrination can create a strong sense of identity and purpose that aligns individual actions with the goals of the organization.
Psychological Conditioning
1. Training and Discipline:
Military training is designed to condition soldiers to respond to commands without hesitation. This conditioning is achieved through repetitive drills, strict discipline, and the establishment of a clear chain of command. These drills become ingrained, creating muscle memory and an instinctive reaction to orders, bypassing the need for individual deliberation in high-pressure situations.
Additionally, the military enforces a strict disciplinary system where obedience is paramount. Soldiers learn that disobeying orders can result in severe consequences such as imprisonment.
KENYA DEFENCE FORCES ACT No. 25 of 2012
78. Disobedience of particular orders
(1) A person who is subject to this Act commits an offence if that person disobeys any lawful command given or sent directly to that person in such a manner as to show a willful defiance or neglect of authority.
(2) A person who commits an offence under subsection (1) shall be liable, on conviction by a court-martial, to imprisonment for a term
(a) not exceeding five years or any lesser punishment provided for by this Act, if the offence was committed on active service; or
(b) for not more than two years or any lesser punishment provided for by this Act, in any other case.
79. Disobeying a lawful order
A person subject to this Act who disobeys a lawful command of a superior officer, commits an offence and shall be liable, on conviction by a court-martial, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or any lesser punishment provided for under this Act.
This system instills a deep-seated fear of the repercussions of disobedience, further reinforcing a culture of compliance. This deep programming often suppresses individual morality and emotions, making personal appeals to soldiers' humanity largely ineffective during confrontations. Discipline, however, is not just about punishment; it fosters a respect for the chain of command that goes beyond fear.
2. Suppression of Individuality:
“The crucible of entry level training is meant to strip away the vestiges of the civilian identity and transform men and women into Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines”. - Mobbs and Bonanno (2018)
The military often requires the suppression of individuality to maintain order and cohesion. This can involve the suppression of personal beliefs and emotions that might interfere with the execution of orders.
Uniformity: Uniforms and standardized procedures promote a sense of unity and reduce individual differences. This uniformity helps create a collective identity that prioritizes group objectives over personal preferences.
Emotional Regulation: Military training includes techniques to manage and suppress emotions that could interfere with mission objectives. Soldiers learn to compartmentalize their feelings, enabling them to perform tasks that might conflict with their personal ethics or emotions.
Following Orders and Moral Flexibility
1. Obedience to Authority:
The military hierarchy is built on the foundation of trust in superiors' judgment. Leaders, through demonstrated competence, create an environment where following orders is seen as essential for success. Soldiers intrinsically believe these orders are made with the best interests of the mission and the unit in mind.
Respect for Authority: Soldiers are trained to respect and trust the judgment and decisions of their superiors. This trust is built through the demonstration of competence and leadership by those in command positions, creating an environment where following orders is seen as both a duty and a necessity.
Military Hierarchy: The military hierarchy is structured to ensure clear lines of authority and responsibility. Soldiers are conditioned to respect and adhere to the chain of command, viewing orders from superiors as directives that must be followed without question.
2. Moral Flexibility:
The ability to set aside personal morals and beliefs is a high priority in combat situations. This moral flexibility is developed through training and the adoption of a utilitarian mindset that prioritizes the greater good over individual ethical considerations.
Utilitarian Mindset: Soldiers are trained to think in terms of the greater good. This mindset can justify actions that might be morally ambiguous in civilian contexts but are necessary for mission success.
Dehumanization of the “Enemy”: To facilitate combat effectiveness, soldiers are sometimes conditioned to view the enemy in dehumanized terms. This dehumanization process can, in extreme situations, extend to any perceived threat, including civilians if framed as such by commanding officers. This allows soldiers to act without the interference of personal moral conflicts.
Conclusion
The psychology of military personnel is a profound and intricate domain that reveals why appeals to reason often fall short. The unwavering obedience of soldiers, rooted in a deeply ingrained sense of brotherhood, cult-like loyalty, and rigorous psychological conditioning, underscores their unique mindset. The case of Kenya's Defense Forces, as seen in the context of the 2024 Finance Bill protests, highlights how this psychological programming can override personal convictions, leading soldiers to prioritize orders over individual morality.
Understanding the military mindset requires acknowledging the powerful influence of shared hardship, trust, and a strict disciplinary system. These factors cultivate a collective identity and emotional regulation that enable soldiers to perform their duties under extreme conditions. Furthermore, the suppression of individuality and the emphasis on obedience to authority create an environment where moral flexibility becomes essential for mission success.
Ultimately, the military's structured hierarchy and utilitarian mindset, designed to prioritize the greater good over personal ethics, illustrate why soldiers may act in ways that seem contrary to their humanity. Recognizing these psychological elements is crucial for effectively engaging with military personnel, especially in situations where civilian and military objectives intersect. Appeals to humanity, while noble, must be tempered with an understanding of the deep-seated conditioning that governs the actions of those in uniform.
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