Integrity…

David Major is Course Director for Senior Enlisted Blended Seminar Program for Marine Corps University at Marine Corps Base Quantico, VA.  He and I were recently pondering value from a military and non-military perspective: 

As a Nation, we typically see the military being recognized at sporting events but how often do we see teachers, nurses, social workers, hospice caregivers get the same recognition.  Are they just as important to the Republic? Show me what a country values and I will show you what a country is. 

In  his class, Law of War and Profession of Arms, leadership spoke of value: 

The word integrity itself is a martial word that comes to us from an ancient Roman army tradition.  During the time of the 12 Caesars, the Roman army would conduct morning inspections. As the inspecting Centurion would come in front of each Legionnaire, the soldier would strike with his right fist the armor breastplate that covered his heart. The armor had to be strongest there in order to protect the heart from the sword thrusts and from arrow strikes. As the soldier struck his armor, he would shout "integritas", which in Latin means material wholeness, completeness, and entirety. The inspecting Centurion would listen closely for this affirmation and also for the ring that well-kept armor would give off…

     At about the same time, the Praetorians or Imperial Bodyguard were ascending into power and influence. Drawn from the best "politically correct" soldiers of the Legions, they received the finest equipment and armor. They no longer had to shout "integritas" to signify that their armor was sound. Instead, as they struck their breastplate, they would shout "hail Caesar", to signify that their heart belonged to the Imperial personage – not to their unit – not to an institution – not to a code of ideals. They armored themselves to serve the cause of a single man.

A century passed and the rift between the Legion and the Imperial bodyguard and its excesses grew larger. To signify the difference between the two organizations, the Legionnaire, upon striking his armor would no longer shout "integritas",  but instead would shout "integer".

Integer means undiminished – complete – perfect. It not only indicated that the armor was sound, it also indicated that the soldier wearing the armor was sound of character. He was complete in his integrity … his heart was in the right place … his standards and morals were high…

The armor of integrity continued to serve the Legion well… but by 383 AD, the social decline that infected the Republic and the Praetorian guard had its effects upon the Legion.

As a 4th century Roman general wrote, "when, because of negligence and laziness, parade ground drills were abandoned, the customary armor began to feel heavy since the soldiers rarely, if ever, wore it. Therefore, they first asked the Emperor to set aside the breastplates and mail and then the helmets. So our soldiers fought the Goths without any protection for the heart and head and were often beaten by archers. They took their armor off, and when the armor came off – so too came their integrity" it was only a matter of a few years until the Legion rotted from within and was unable to hold the frontiers … the barbarians were at the gates. 

                   General Charles C. Krulak 

I often wonder what led to the demise of the Roman Empire.  

Does America's individual and collective value of integrity feel heavy?  I wonder… 

GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.