The Warrior’s Edge: Balancing Lethality and Ethics in Modern Warfare
A discussion of modern warfare training with Army Special Forces Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Michael Nelson & former Marine Adam Weinstein

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has pushed for the Pentagon to focus almost exclusively on lethality. In response, retired Army Special Forces Lieutenant Colonel Michael Nelson recently published an essay in The Atlantic arguing that while a warrior ethos is essential to winning battles, discarding professional and ethical values threatens to erode military professionalism. Drawing on firsthand experiences, including in Afghanistan, Nelson underscores that true military strength requires a warrior ethos that is guided by greater values.

Join us for a conversation hosted by the Quincy Institute’s Veterans in Foreign Policy Initiative on how to strike the right balance between preparing troops for the brutal realities of war and upholding the standards that must guide their conduct. 
July 2025

17
12:00 PM ET
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Join us for a timely and important discussion with:

Michael Nelson

Michael Nelson served as an Army Special Forces Lieutenant Colonel and is currently a member of the Atlantic Council’s Counterterrorism Project, previously of the Global Energy Security Institute and the Institute for the Study of War. During his military career, he served as the Deputy Director of the Commander’s Action Group at United States Central Command for General Joseph Votel.

Adam Weinstein (Moderator)

Adam Weinstein is deputy director of the Middle East Program at the Quincy Institute, and director of the Veterans in Foreign Policy Initiative. He served as a US Marine and deployed to Afghanistan in 2012 as part of a detachment to the 2nd Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, serving in Uruzgan Province in support of Australia’s 2nd Commando Regiment.
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