They can range from the very deep seated beliefs you hold concerning such things as religion and the fundamentals upon which this country was established, to recent experiences which have affected your perception of a particular person, concept, or thing. Many soldiers throughout history have sacrificed their lives to save friends, or help their unit accomplish a mission. These brave, selfless actions include blocking exploding grenades, personally taking out enemy fighting positions, and manning key positions to protect a withdrawal. Beliefs and values motivate this kind of heroic self-sacrifice. The motivating force may be the soldier s belief in the importance of retaining his personal honor, of saving a buddy, of helping the unit, of serving a cause, or a combination of these.
Formal norms are official standards or laws that govern behavior.
Traffic signals, the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and Geneva Conventions are formal norms that direct the behavior of Americans soldiers. They dictate what actions are required or forbidden. Uniform regulations, safety codes, and unit SOPs are also formal norms. Informal norms are unwritten rules or standards that govern the behavior of group members. An example would be a combat patrol, were the commander stresses the informal norm that casualties are never to be left by the rest of the patrol.