The NCO Leadership Center of Excellence (NCOLCoE) welcomed a new Chaplain, who will serve as the Sergeants Major Academy (SGM-A) ethicist.
Maj. Brett Newman brings his expertise gained over 15 years of service, between eight years in the Army Reserve and seven years on Active-Duty service.
While the NCOLCoE has had Chaplains assigned to the organization in the past to provide a variety of counseling and religious services as well as assist with ethics training, Newman’s position is now assigned to the SGM-A where he will be solely responsible for prioritizing the teaching of ethics lessons full time.
“What is different about this job is that my primary role is as an ethics instructor for the SGM-A rather than a Command Chaplain. Practically speaking, this means that I am freed up from many of the normal chaplain responsibilities like counseling and event planning, and this allows me to dig deeper into the ethics training and curriculum presented at the SGM-A.”
To ensure he was fully prepared for this new role he attended a yearlong program in Clevland, Ohio and secured a Master of Arts in Military Ethics just last month from Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). Of the seven academic institutions that the Army approves for Chaplains to go to, CWRU is the only school in the country to offer a degree which focuses on Military Ethics and is therefore the preferred university for Chaplain Ethicists to pursue their Master of Arts.
“I hope to assist all the students and instructors in understanding and appreciating the Army’s ethical decision-making process,” said Newman. “Due to our unique role in the military as stewards of the legal and moral application of violence, we are faced with many ethical situations that the civilian population many never encounter.” Newman hopes that exposure to core ideas of ethics in the classroom will better prepare his students for challenges they may face in leadership roles, allowing them to make the best decision for themselves and those under their command.
“If the first time we encounter such ethical dilemmas is on the battlefield, it’s unlikely that we will make the most ethical decision,” said Newman about the value of his training.
Master Sgt. Deborah Carey, a student in the Sergeants Major Course Class 75, was in attendance for one of Newman’s first ethics presentations at the academy. "The Chaplain was clearly well versed and passionate about ethics and hearing other people’s responses to questions opened my eyes to how much views and opinions can differ. Critical thinking is important to senior leaders and making ethical decisions is an important part of the process,” said Carey about the class.
In addition to preparing over 500 students this year for future conflicts, both martial and moral in nature, he is also assisting the SGM-A staff with updating ethics-based curriculum.
“The Chief of Education has asked me to do a deep-dive into the current ethics curriculum that is being presented in the SGM-A and see where it can be enhanced. I’m excited to look at what is currently being shared and see where I can help this organization grow in its vision of ethical leadership training.”
Newman also mentioned the potential of launching initiatives beyond the scope of classroom discussions, such as an ethical discussion group for anyone who would like to dive deeper into key ethical topics within the military context.