Pentagon Can Recover From Petraeus And Allen Scandals -- Christian Science Monitor
The Petraeus affair and the 'inappropriate' e-mails of Gen. John Allen push defense chief Leon Panetta to demand changes in the military's ethical culture. But conduct by the book also needs conduct by a conscience that knows right from wrong.
Rules aren’t enough.
That seems to be the conclusion of Defense Secretary Leon Panetta following a wave of scandals this year involving top military officers – most notably Gen. David Petraeus.
On Wednesday, Mr. Panetta ordered the Joint Chiefs of Staff to review the Pentagon’s training in military ethics. He made a pointed reminder that senior officers must “exercise sound judgment in their stewardship of government resources and in their personal conduct.”
Conduct by the book, in other words, also requires conduct by a conscience that knows right from wrong. Or as Panetta put it: “An action may be legally permissible, but neither advisable nor wise.”
Read more ....
My Comment: Of course the U.S. military will recover from this scandal .... but the US military has enjoyed a period of time in which the public has given them unqualified support for their dedication and sacrifice. Unfortunately .... episodes like this one will only serve to downgrade (albeit slightly) this sentiment.
No comments:
Post a Comment