EXSUM’s mission is to explore the ethical dimensions of the use of American military force. We believe this exploration can lead to greater clarity about how and when this use of force may be appropriate.

EXSUM operates with the informed assumption that U.S. military leaders are predominantly committed to the ethical use of military force. As such, we conduct all of our projects with optimism and seek to highlight the moral courage so often displayed by American military members. There are many in the public domain who work to describe ethical shortfalls within the American military institution.

That is not our purpose at EXSUM; we work to tell the oft-neglected positive side of the story to promote institutional trust within the military and the public it serves.