 Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale, who is Naval War College President from 1977 to 79, introduced a military ethics course informed by his seven years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. It is hard to overstate how much of an effect Stockdale had on the Navy and our ideas about moral foundations, ethical behavior, philosophy and the profession of arms. The course title, Foundations of Military Obligation, was not accidental. Admiral Stockdale saw officers' moral obligation as foundational to all they did. He thought it was important to carefully examine that foundation. Without such a firm foundation for our ideas and decisions, we risk incorporating ethics as an afterthought, leaving us to rationalize our behavior. The admiral's point is as relevant today as it was then as evidenced by the popularity of the elective even today. Whether we're building with rationality, data, empathy or even patriotism, we must start with a foundation of ethical reflection. Lead well this week.