Tarnished Armor Erosion of Military Ethics

摘要

Ethical misconduct on the part of prominent personages and senior politicians, including presidents since Lyndon B. Johnson, posed questions with respect to possible change in the national psyche, precursor of the national will. The Advent of the Iran-Contra scandal of 1987, with its attendant parade of military officers publicly confessing compromise of ethics and integrity, raised serious questions regarding the status of ethics in the modern military. This study seeks to determine if change has occurred in the national psyche, national will, and the Army ethic. Also addressed are three U.S. Army War College ethical investigations with a view towards determining degree of correlation; functional areas of major concern; and senior leader ethical profiles. Recommendations focus on outcomes addressable within existing Army systems and regulations.