A unified model of military moral experience during deployment: Initial evidence from U.S. soldiers

Large scale combat operations (LSCO) are anticipated to expose service members to challenging, high-stakes scenarios with significant moral implications. Potentially morally injurious events and the psychological harms associated with moral injury among military personnel have been well-documented, but the possibility of positive experiences arising from morally charged experiences has been given less attention. In the present study, we explore a novel construct - the potentially morally elevating experience (PMEE) - that constitutes a positively-oriented parallel to the potentially morally injurious event. Previously deployed U.S. Army soldiers (n = 1,622) completed a cross-sectional survey that included assessment of three forms of PMEEs - morally elevating acts by the self, morally elevating acts by others, and moral elevation from experiencing the support of others. Associations between PMEEs and symptoms of depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress, and problematic alcohol use were explored. PMEEs were found to be common, but not universal, among previously deployed soldiers. Moreover, PMEEs were negatively associated with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress. No associations were observed between PMEEs and problematic alcohol use. Building on these findings, we propose a unified model of military moral experience during deployment. Findings and implications are considered within the context of future conflicts involving LSCO.