When the Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership launched its blog in 2020, it did so with a conviction that reflective thought has a place—indeed, a necessary one—within the high-tempo, consequential world of military and public service. The blog was conceived not as a venue for idle speculation or ideological grandstanding, but as a forum for “considered ideas and insights”—a phrase deliberately chosen to distinguish the Center’s approach from the noise of the digital commons. Five years on, we pause not merely to commemorate the passage of time, but to reflect on the purpose and practice of this endeavor, and to reaffirm our commitment to its founding vision.The Blog of War: Reaffirming the Purpose of the Stockdale Center Blog
From the outset, the blog sought to engage a readership of practitioners—leaders and learners alike—who confront the knotty problems of command, leadership, and institutional responsibility: the very kind of problems that formed the core of the intellectual tradition handed down to us by our namesake and hero, Vice Admiral James B. Stockdale. These are not theoretical puzzles offered for the comfort of academic distance, but lived dilemmas faced by those charged with balancing mission and morality, effectiveness and justice, tradition and innovation. The Stockdale Center blog was built to serve as a guidepost in such terrain—not a map with fixed coordinates, but a set of orienting questions and reflections to aid those navigating uncertainty.
The past five years have only underscored the need for such a space. Between 2020 and 2025, the ethical landscape facing leaders has grown more complex, not less. The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the moral weight of logistical decisions. The withdrawal from Afghanistan reopened painful questions about strategic purpose and sacrifice. Great power competition has returned with vigor, raising anew the tension between military necessity and democratic accountability. At home, military leaders have been called upon to interpret their constitutional role amid social unrest and political polarization. Ethical leadership has never been more urgently needed—or more perilously misunderstood.
Throughout this period, the Stockdale Center blog has sought to meet these challenges without succumbing to them. It has featured essays on emerging technologies and their moral implications; reflections on historical precedents in civil-military relations; arguments for cultivating moral humility in command; and case studies drawn from contemporary conflict. Contributors have ranged from seasoned officers and senior scholars to midshipmen and junior faculty—all united by a shared commitment to honest inquiry and principled reflection.
To be sure, the blog has not always published at a steady cadence. Like many worthy endeavors, its momentum has ebbed and flowed with personnel shifts and institutional tempo. But this anniversary offers an opportunity not only to look back, but to renew our investment in its future. We reaffirm that the blog is not a luxury or a side project—it is a core expression of the Stockdale Center’s mission: to empower ethical leaders for service in a complex world.
That reaffirmation rests on three guiding convictions.
First, the blog affirms the value of public reflection. In a military culture that rightly prizes action, there is a risk that reflection becomes sidelined or silenced—perceived as a distraction rather than a force multiplier. As Admiral Stockdale demonstrated in both word and deed, the only way to meet life’s ethical challenges is through serious intellectual engagement, not reflex or ritual. The blog is one such form of serious engagement—written not to showcase credentials, but to wrestle aloud with hard questions in a way that models intellectual courage for others.
Second, the blog insists that ethical leadership is not a settled state but a developmental pursuit. It must be cultivated through habits of thought and speech. When we publish essays that examine the moral complexity of deterrence, or the burden of command in ambiguous contexts, we do so to reinforce those habits—not to provide easy answers, but to refine the judgment required of those who bear responsibility.
Third, the blog remains committed to bridging the gap between theory and practice. Too often, ethical discourse becomes either overly abstract or narrowly operational. The Stockdale Center blog rejects that dichotomy. Its best entries are grounded in real-world dilemmas and informed by rigorous thought, translating ethical concepts into usable insights for those in the arena. This is not ivory-tower moralizing; it is applied ethics in its highest form.
Looking ahead, we see the blog as both a mirror and a compass—reflecting the questions that animate our moment while pointing toward deeper truths that endure beyond it. We envision renewed contributions from a broader array of voices, including those of our midshipmen, who are uniquely positioned to speak to the moral formation of future officers. We aim to amplify thoughtful perspectives from the Fleet and Fleet Marine Force, and to host respectful dialogue on difficult issues—reminding ourselves that nonpartisanship does not mean disengagement, and that military officers must learn to speak with clarity, conscience, and care.
In the end, we return to the original animating belief of this blog: that ethical leadership is not the result of charisma or compliance, but of deliberate cultivation—of character, of judgment, of the courage to ask hard questions even when answers elude us. That work continues, and so too must this blog.
We invite you, once again, to read, to reflect, and—perhaps most importantly—to write.