United States Special Operations Command
ATTN: JSOU Press
7701 Tampa Point Boulevard
MacDill AFB, FL 33621-5323
https://jsou.edu/Press
JOINT SPECIAL OPERATIONS UNIVERSITY
Nearly 160 years ago, Alexander Dumas concluded, “Moral wounds have this
peculiarity–they may be hidden, but they never close; always painful, always
ready to bleed when touched, they remain fresh and open in the heart.” In this
monograph, the authors share a summary, review, and implications of moral
injury in SOF while examining how improperly treated and inadequately cared
for moral injury can profoundly aect all within the SOF community. After con-
ducting research throughout the SOF enterprise and considering the implications
of moral injury in SOF, the authors conclude that possibilities and probabilities
remain for a restored spirit, renewed hope, and curative healing even after opera-
tors have experienced ethical, moral, and spiritual crucibles encountered as a
result of SOF duties.
ISBN 978-1-941715-66-6
JSOU Report 23-2
Moral Injury: Implications for U.S. SOF and Ethical Resiliency
Moral Injury: Implications for U.S. SOF
and Ethical Resiliency
Marc-Charles Ingerson, John Edgar Caterson,
David Wood, and Matthew Kazumi Ikenoyama
JSOU Report 23-2
