“I Was There” and “It Happened to Me”: An Exploratory Study of Killing as an Adventure Narrative in the Accounts of Soldiers and Police Officers

Abstract

Various theoretical frameworks have been applied in an attempt to understand the phenomenon of killing. While previous studies have examined killing as an outcome-oriented measure, few have explored killing as a narrative. Using letters written by soldiers, police officers, and security professionals found in the magazine Soldier of Fortune, this study examines the reported behaviors that occur during the killing process and argues that the process of killing is best understood as an adventure narrative. Applicability of findings to other homicides is discussed.

Sexual Arenas, Alcohol (Ab)use, and Predatory Leadership: Facilitators of US Military Sexual Violence

“…The military is not a unique institution only because its members risk their lives; many occupations are hazardous. When ordered, however, members of the armed forces are expected to kill or support a killing machine (Baggaley et al, 2019). Any theory, model, or directive that treats military members as employees while ignoring the moral elements of the experience are flawed (Shields, 1993).…”

“…A military capable of protecting society must be skilled at killing and destroying things, activities that necessarily set it apart (Shields, 2006) ideologically and in practice from broader society. Warfighting demands social networking, inclusion, and group cohesion (Cohen, 2013;Baggaley et al, 2019;Hart & Lancaster, 2019;Moskos, 2000). The military is more than the sum of its parts; it paradoxically promulgates violence while fostering the practice of mutual support and care through norms, values, and relationships inherent to care networks (Milligan &Wiles, 2010).…”