Posted on Feb 20, 2015
CSM Command Sergeant Major IN
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A recent U.S. Army War College study states "dishonesty and deception" among Army personnel is common, often encouraged to maintain a false sense of integrity.

Under what circumstances is it acceptable to be dishonest or deceive your superiors while in uniform? Have you ever done this, or seen others do it?

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2015/02/20/study-soldiers-of-all-ranks-engage-in-dishonesty-and-deception.html?ESRC=eb.nl
Posted in these groups: Values tree Values4ibobmkyt HonestyIntegrity logo Integrity
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CSM Brigade Operations (S3) Sergeant Major
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Edited 10 y ago
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I posted the actual study here on RP. The media has gotten a hold of it and put their spin on, making it look like all our officers are blatant liars. I would encourage everyone to read the study (executive summary is shorter) and then ask yourself if our officers or seniors are actually lying?

Example: Unit is getting ready to deploy and brigade tells you two things need to get done.

1. Online TARP training

2. Weapons qualification

Let's say there is only time for you to accomplish one of those to standard. Which one do you pick? Which one is more important?

I would probably prioritize and ensure my unit was 100% qualified on their assigned weapons. If asked from higher I would tell them we were good to go on TARP.

That was a quick generic example but it's the kind of things the article talks about. The article calls it "ethical fading", read the executive summary and form your own opinions but I can see where the officers are coming from.


http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pubs/display.cfm?pubID=1250
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CSM Command Sergeant Major IN
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SFC James Sczymanski , you have no idea how bad it is at my level - having O6's lying to GO's and there is nothing that can be done about it. I came to realize the GO's didn't WANT to know the 'truth' - I'm so glad I am out of the PC bullshit and politics at that level. For some I'm a failure or sell out, but I just couldn't put up with it, and the higher you go, the worst it gets.
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CSM Brigade Operations (S3) Sergeant Major
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CSM (Join to see) and SFC James Sczymanski the reality is the political arm of the Army has killed candor. Nobody wants to hear "we can't do that", even if there is a legitimate reason it can't be accomplished.

The Army has become so "zero defect" that leaders can't learn hard lessons by making mistakes anymore. The pressure the officers are under with the way they are evaluated on their OERs is intense. They have to cover their asses constantly or end up in the bottom of the stack and get the boot.

The NCOER is changing to look more like the OER so I am sure it will have the same effect on NCOs. Damn shame!
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CW4 Network Systems Technician
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Surprisingly I did not read the study I read the article that appeared on the Army Times website. I can say that some of the items that were used in that article I saw not only in the Army but in the Air Force as well. As the article brought up more and more training requirements are being placed upon units that they cannot achieve them all. Furthermore, there is no schedule to speak of because most senior officers (in this I mean 06) do not want to the boss and say I cannot perform the mission you have assigned due to other requirements. Instead they give the north south head nod and say boss we can give more even though we don’t have enough personnel or equipment and never mind that things you need to get done should have been coordinated a month or two ago. Not to mention the fact that events that just happened or are going to happen in the future need to be described to the commander time now. For example, a training event that is scheduled next week the commander needs to know this week how the training went and people are willing to give him the answer. Even though this answer is completely made up it is an answer none the less.
I read an article a few months back regarding the term “selective disobedience” which I found very interesting it looks as though this may need to make a comeback. For anyone intrested the article can be read here:

Surprisingly I did not read the study I read the article that appeared on the Army Times website. I can say that some of the items that were used in that article I saw not only in the Army but in the Air Force as well. As the article brought up more and more training requirements are being placed upon units that they cannot achieve them all. Furthermore, there is no schedule to speak of because most senior officers (in this I mean 06) do not want to the boss and say I cannot perform the mission you have assigned due to other requirements. Instead they give the north south head nod and say boss we can give more even though we don’t have enough personnel or equipment and never mind that things you need to get done should have been coordinated a month or two ago. Not to mention the fact that events that just happened or are going to happen in the future need to be described to the commander time now. For example, a training event that is scheduled next week the commander needs to know this week how the training went and people are willing to give him the answer. Even though this answer is completely made up it is an answer none the less.
I read an article a few months back regarding the term “selective disobedience” which I found very interesting it looks as though this may need to make a comeback. For anyone curious in the article it can be found here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-armys-next-enemy-peace/2014/07/10/f02b5180-f0dc-11e3-914c-1fbd0614e2d4_story.html
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1SG Eoc Ops Coordinator / Ga Certified Emergency Manager
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Are you ready for this....it is no different on the Garrison side of the installation with the Garrison Directorates, whose Directors for the most part are retired 05/06. With the downsiziing that has happened and the still more to come by FY17 on the civilian side, it's a two sided mirror. Requirements, reports, taskers, askers from higher headquarters increase, and personnel decrease. I attended the IMCOM Emergency Manager Signature Course in March at San Antonio, TX. The Deputy PM, made a comment "EMs are not doing a good job or relating the EM/AT mission and selling themselves and the EM/AT Program to their senior commanders!" The room erupted in outburst, and I just so happened to be the 1st one to get speak back and I said, "Well that's easy for you to say sitting here at IMCOM Headquarters, however, you have no damn clue what the fuck goes on at my installation nor any of the other 22 installations represented in the room today! If you did, you would be standing here, telling us how in the hell you as the higher headquarters plan to help us accomplish that mission. I work in the Garrison DPTMS, between me and Sr. Cdr I have a Garrsion Cd 06r, DPTMS Director GS15 , a Plans and Ops Div. Chief GS14, a Protection Br. Chief GS 13....and you're right about one thing, I haven't sold the Sr. Cdr a damn thing....I'll never get to speak to him unless I get lucky and can ambush his ass in the barber shop....now do you have any recommendations to help us, if not then you've wasted IMCOMs money in bringing me out here for two weeks. Needless to say, I doubt if I will be attending anything at IMCOM Headquarters again for anything! But the round of applause from my fellow EMs was enough. Then they all got started as the shit continued to roll down hill. It was not a good day for the Deputy PM/P. Arrogant Ass!

I hate to say, it's no better on the Garrison side .....all the way up the chain either.
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CSM Charles Hayden
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CSM Jim Dula, I have always thought that the West Point and other service academy's Honor code is meant to permeate and influence the US Military's standards of Ethics?

What is going on? "A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal or tolerate those who do"

That is only a guideline for service at West Point?

I will never forget a Colonel telling me that he would never be a general; that a previous Div CG had ruined the careers of every O-6 in his command w/ negative OERs because the division had not performed as desired in a FTX or ?

Regretfully, some of the officer corps should be treated aspoliticians and unhorsed!
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SFC Telecommunications Operations Chief
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The annual / semi / Quarterly training we are mandated to do detracts from the training troops really need. If I had flubbed the 350-1 numbers in 07, I could have spent more time training dismounted patrols in preparation for the surge. Never in a million years did I expect a signal company to be used as infantry but it happened. We were lucky and did not get hit but my Soldiers were not prepared for it if we were. I will never make the same mistake again.
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