Military Review English Edition November-December 2014 | Page 99

3rd Place 2013-1 MacArthur Contest Winner
The issue of suicide is “emotional, painful, and complicated,” as President Obama put it in a speech during August 2011 in announcing
that he would extend official condolences to the families of military personnel who kill themselves. Army Capt. D.J. Skelton was among
the dissenting voices on the issue. Skelton lost his left eye and the use of his left arm after an RPG attack in Fallujah, Iraq.
(Photo by Fred Baker, Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs)

Leveraging the Power
of Loyal Dissent in the
U.S. Army
Maj. Thomas B. Craig, U.S. Army

L

oyal dissent is usually expressed as carefully
thought-out, well-intentioned, usually verbal
action designed to help an entire organization
or a particular leader perform better and accomplish
MILITARY REVIEW  November-December 2014

its mission more successfully. Loyal dissent presents
a leader with an alternate idea or a different solution
to a problem, sometimes even after a leader has issued
orders or made his or her decision. Truly loyal dissent
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