Lying To Ourselves: Dishonesty In The Army Profession

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Introduction In today’s Army, it is expected that every soldier from the highest to the lowest rank to uphold themselves to the highest standards. It is how the Army gains trust within the organization and the public. Soldiers follow regulations and requirements to maintain an effective fighting force. However, according to “Lying to Ourselves: Dishonesty in the Army Profession” by Dr. Leonard Wong and Dr. Stephen J. Gerras, recent years have shown that the Army has an increased rate of scandals involving false reporting. The book claims that it is common in the Army to find leaders that tend to lie on reports and do questionable activities to complete the required tasks. This results in leaders walking a fine line between completing the tasks …show more content…

It can be undermined by instances of misconduct, leadership failures, or breaches of integrity. Mistrust among soldiers can destroy unit cohesion and morale, impairing operational effectiveness. Trust can be destroyed by falsely reporting a unit’s readiness status as 100%, despite not being the case. The Army's trustworthiness is important for maintaining public support and credibility, especially when controversies or scandals start to surface. Adverse events such as civilian casualties or misconduct by military personnel can strain the relationship between the Army and the communities it serves, eroding trust. The Army will continue to have trust issues unless leaders identify and resolve the issues. A way to resolve these issues is to be transparent to their soldiers, peers, and bosses. Leaders building blocks of trust will allow others to rely and depend on them instead of questioning their actions and words. Honorable Service Honorable Service is another characteristic the Army struggles to maintain. While soldiers uphold the principles of honor, integrity, and selfless service, the nature of conflict and the circumstances that arise can sometimes blur the lines between honorable conduct and actions that may be morally ambiguous or ethically

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