What exactly IS moral injury?
Pat Tillman's Death & Veterans/Remembrance Day
In starting this Substack and wanting to further education about moral injury and grow a conversation about it, I realize that not everyone is well versed in some foundational understandings, the origins of the concept, and what exactly is so devastating about it. As we enter into a weekend where Veterans Day will be observed in the United States and Remembrance Day in the United Kingdom, reflection on moral injury is an appropriate way to honor those who have served in the Armed Forces with integrity and honor.
Moral injury’s origins reside in post-traumatic work with military combat veterans.1 It is marked by feelings of shame and guilt due to acts of commission or omission or witnessing them by other. Moral injury is also marked by feelings of outrage and betrayal by others, particularly those who hold authority, for violating core moral beliefs - “what right.” More recently, work in moral injury has emphasized that its causes may not solely reside with the transgressions of individuals, but with structures and systems that allow for, fail to prevent, or perpetuate moral transgressions.2 Regardless the causes, moral injury causes tremendous trauma, harm, and suffering that when left unattended to, can have devastating costs.
On an individual level, people live with tremendous psychological and emotional pain that they try to alleviate through substance abuse, violence to themselves and others, and suicide. Moral injury shatters one’s sense of goodness and morality so much it can cause the most moral and ethical person to sudden act in violation of those codes and norms. On a relational and institutional level, the bonds of trust and cohesion are destroyed so profoundly that it threatens the health and existence of institutions, communities, and even entire societies.
These are costs that can last a lifetime, and there is no clearer, comprehensive example of moral injury than the story of Pat Tillman’s death.
Pat Tillman was a Professional American Football player who decided in 2002 to leave his professional career to serve in the United States Army. Two years later, the world woke up to the news that Tillman had been killed in combat with the enemy. However, after details were discovered, it was later revealed he was killed by friendly fire. 20 years later, Tillman’s death is a story of mistakes, questionable decisions, and lies that have left those closest to him filled with unresolved grief and anger. You can read the ESPN investigative article that was released earlier this week.
One of the convictions I hold about moral injury is that it is an experience, and one can only really understand the depths of how damaging moral injury is by listening to the experience of the morally injured. Better than any intellectual appeal I could make, I encourage you this weekend to click on the link to the ESPN story about Pat Tillman. You’ll listen to those who have been morally injured through the entire, tragic experience of Tillman’s death in the article’s embedded videos. Tillman’s story isn’t unique. Many combat veterans and civilian bystanders bear similar moral injuries incurred through war. Others suffer from moral injury from other contexts as well.
By taking time this weekend to bear witness to this one story, I believe you’ll come to a fuller understanding of just how important the conversation about moral injury is within the context of war and military service, and beyond.
See Shay, Jonathan (2014). “Moral Injury.” Psychoanalytic Psychology, 31(2). & Griffin, Brandon J., Purcell, Natalie, Burkman, Kristine, Litz, Brett T., Bryan, Craig J., Schmitz, Claudia Villierme, Walsh, Jessica, & Maguen, Shira (2019). “Moral Injury: An Integrative Review.” Traumatic Stress, 32(3).
See Wiinikka-Lydon, Joseph (2017). “Moral Injury as Inherent Political Critique: The Prophetic Possibilities of a New Term.” Political Theology, 18(3).