Internalizing IHL: Melding humanitarian law with military ethics for junior leaders

Abstract Although they are critical for military units’ compliance with international humanitarian law (IHL), junior leaders are often overlooked in the development of ethical and moral decision-making when it comes to education and training. To foster the internalization of IHL principles in this vital cohort, those principles must be better melded with military ethics. Through examination of different military efforts to create ethical warriors, important points from behavioural ethics, the use of warrior ethoses, instances of competing positive values, and ideas for effective and affordable curricula, the present article suggests a path forward for accomplishing this.