In the spring of 2008, two student aviators were taken to admiral's mast for several Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) violations stemming from an unauthorized flight in a Navy aircraft from Austin, Texas, to Naval Air Station, Kingsville, Texas. What made this particular case stand out was the ease with which the students lied to cover the violation. This incident, along with several other disturbing professional-conduct violations that occurred near the same time, prompted me to reflect on the issue of integrity and its value to our Navy and compelled me to search for a solution.
Breaching the "Wall"
The Great Wall of China, built as an impenetrable defense against barbaric hordes to the north, is a magnificent structure. Many believed the wall guaranteed that no army could penetrate the country's borders. However, during the first hundred years of its existence, China was invaded three times. Not once was it torn down or scaled by invading armies. Rather, each time invaders entered by bribing a gatekeeper and simply marching through the gates. The Chinese had so relied on the physical integrity of the formidable stone walls that they overlooked the importance of ensuring the moral integrity of their soldiers.
In October 1992, then-Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Frank Kelso adopted honor, courage, and commitment as our Navy's core values. We still consider these traits essential to the task of integrating Sailors from different cultures and backgrounds in a cohesive and effective force. The process begins in boot camp and continues throughout a Sailor's Navy career. It is not a stretch to say, however, that teaching and affirming these values diminishes over time. One could argue that as our Sailors progress through the Fleet, the teaching of core values is replaced by our own "Great Wall" of rules and regulations. Boot camp drill instructors give way to Fleet supervisors, all of whom are focused on the challenges of their jobs. The intense interaction between drill instructor and Sailor gives way to busy commanders and a multitude of Navy instructions dictating proper behavior and procedures. Are these rules and regulations an adequate substitute for leaders who actively teach the value of integrity
Clearly, the answer is no.Even a cursory reading of the news indicates that cracks have developed in our society's walls of integrity. A 2006 Gallup Poll showed that 80 percent of Americans rated the moral condition of our country as fair or poor and thought it was worsening. These fissures are reflected in the Navy. We read in the press of senior naval officers being relieved of command because of moral failures. Even naval institutions struggle with the integrity deficit we observe in society. This year, for example, the Naval Academy witnessed the highest number of honor-code violations in 25 years.1 This sobering statistic has prompted academy officials to review the honor code to determine how to better equip today's midshipmen to become principled leaders. While the moral condition of society and our Navy is subject to debate, one thing is clear: Our first and best line of defense should not be to rely on our "walls" of regulations, but on ourselves, as gatekeepers.
Where To Begin
An increased divergence from the Navy's core values degrades levels of readiness across the Fleet. Choosing wrong instead of right can result in catastrophic losses to personnel and equipment. For example, at the strategic level, the Walker-family spy case is a landmark breach of integrity and character that devastated the Navy.2 At the operational level, when leadership is relieved for loss of confidence, it rocks a command to its foundation. Such situations force us to ask pragmatic questions. Are we, as Navy leaders, meeting our responsibility to teach integrity Can and should we do so And how do we tackle this task at every level of leadership
In a 2008 essay entitled "The Whole Sailor" (see below), I attempted to answer some of these questions. Character underpins our humanity, and we should seek to nurture it in our Sailors. Ultimately, character defines a Sailor and has the greater impact on motivation and subsequent performance during peacetime or war.
"The Whole Sailor" was a lecture I first presented at the Naval Air Forces Senior Leadership (O-6) Symposium in March 2009. It was a first shot across the bow in tackling the role integrity plays in the Navy and in considering our responsibilities as leaders.
The question of where to begin is not an easy one. There is no consensus on the definitions of terms; even using the word "spiritual" in lieu of "moral" or "ethical" is controversial. Some leaders fear they will be perceived as endorsing one moral viewpoint over another. Interestingly, a recent CNO naval telegram (NAVGRAM) on family readiness used the term to describe Sailors' readiness: "Personal readiness [is ensuring] that every Sailor is physically, medically, psychologically, spiritually, and administratively ready to deploy worldwide."3
The Commanding Officer's Role
Six months later, the Whole Sailor concept was presented at our Naval Air Forces O-5 Commanders' Conference. The key questions the O-5s grappled with were how to "operationalize" the concept and how O-5 commanding officers can instill character and integrity in their Sailors.
With the help of Captain Rick Rubel, professor of ethics at the Naval Academy, an agenda was devised that included his lecture, "Why People Choose to Do the Wrong Thing." We reviewed the role morals play in making decisions and how integrity and character influence actions. In small group discussions, we followed the question of why good people choose to do the wrong thing with several others, such as how a CO can prevent people from choosing dishonorable actions and help Sailors develop their character and integrity so they will make good choices.
The results were surprising. While 80 percent of the COs believed they have a role in teaching integrity, 20 percent remained convinced that their role was one of simply enforcing the rules. They debated the chances of success in remediating Sailors who made missteps. A few felt that by the time Sailors reach the Fleet, it is too late or too difficult to teach integrity, particularly to a diverse Navy from many socio-economic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds.
Despite the varied opinions, there was agreement on many things: by setting an example, demonstrating consistency among words, actions, and beliefs, COs generate trust. Many agreed that COs should set a high moral standard and identify ways to encourage Sailors to make honorable decisions according to self-chosen principles, even when leadership is not watching. They should reward good decisions, not solely reprimand errors and vices. And finally, they must be aware of the organizational pitfalls of bad decisions. The most important conclusion
Integrity doesn't just happen. COs need to demonstrate integrity and to teach it at every level of their organization.The Senior Commander's Role
The April 2010 Senior Leadership Symposium's format was similar, but focused on a commander's role in shaping the organization. We challenged our senior commanders to address assessment, guidance, and implementation. How can a commander assess the level of integrity of his or her command
What resources can be used to understand this aspect of command culture How can we influence our organizations to create Whole Sailors And what tools and processes are available to help our O-5s foster the processWe determined that spouse participation would be integral to the discussion. Our effort was a natural extension of the recent CNO NAVGRAM mentioned previously, embracing the Navy family as an essential element to our Navy's success. We recognized that spouses play vital roles in the command's modeling of integrity. They were asked to consider how they could help promote the command's highest standards for its Sailors both at work and home. And finally, considering the role that the Sailor plays in shaping the "moral DNA" of the family, and vice versa, we asked, how do we move the organization from shaping the Whole Sailor to developing the "whole family"
Our senior commanders felt that much was already established with respect to assessing commands in the area of integrity. Certainly, command-climate surveys have always been available. Both our O-5 and O-6 commanders thought Captain Rubel's presentation, "Virtues and Character—Strength Inventory," to be an invaluable tool, especially when combined with other resources, such as chaplains, who are experienced in taking the "integrity pulse" of the command. Whichever assessment tool is used, all agreed that face-to-face contact is critical. COs should capitalize on midterm counseling and fitness-report debriefs in the assessment process. Throughout the discussion it was clear that the Navy still has much to do to develop the right metrics to measure character.
Words and Deeds
During the symposium senior commanders recognized the need to routinely use the "language of integrity" in different command evolutions and to establish programs that recognize character and integrity, just as we recognize technical proficiency and expertise. Including these qualities as factors in Sailor of the Quarter/Sailor of the Year programs and recognizing Sailors "doing the right thing" during Quarters are just two examples. There is great value in talking about character in both positive and negative environments. Language is important, and words have meaning only if actions match those words. Across the board, Naval Air Forces' commanders agreed that leaders generate trust when their behavior, actions, and speech are congruent.
First Mates
Navy spouses considered their roles to be crucial in promoting principled actions by serving as examples of integrity and as family advocates. They recognized the need for educational programs on integrity and character as the key in developing "whole families." They also suggested that commands explore ways to maximize family integrity, because ultimately, the notions of the Whole Sailor and whole family are inseparable and should be pursued as an integrated concept.
In his keynote speech at the 2010 symposium, Dr. Michael Josephson, noted ethicist, author, and motivational speaker, introduced the Six Pillars of Character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship.4 The results of Dr. Josephson's survey of the O-6 aviation commanders confirmed that our leadership believes that character and integrity do matter and can be taught. In the survey, more than 90 percent of the O-6 commanders agreed with the following statements:
- In taking an oath on enlistment, warrant, or commission in the U.S. Navy, Sailors assume the obligation for the highest professional and moral conduct in their professional and personal lives.
- Navy leadership should be more actively engaged in instilling, developing, and enhancing ethical and moral values to strengthen Sailors' characters and internal sense of right and wrong.
- Even though our Sailors come to us as adults, the Navy can influence their character, values, and ethics.
- The Navy should be involved in or concerned with what noncommissioned and officer personnel do on their own time or in their personal lives (including gambling, drug use, alcohol abuse, domestic violence, or marital infidelity).
Epitomizing Character
While the principles discussed here are not new and are perhaps self-evident, as a whole, naval aviation leaders who are exposed to the Whole Sailor concept understand it. It is my sense that by adopting it they will tread with greater confidence in the footprints of our forebears, such as the late Medal of Honor recipient, Vice Admiral James Stockdale. Admiral Stockdale epitomized the courage that is born of character. His years as a naval aviator set the bar for our moral and ethical standards.
Conversely, the Tailhook scandal of 1991 is recognized as a low point in American naval aviation. When one considers that virtually every one of our current squadron COs joined the Navy after that year, the importance of discussing the Whole Sailor with our commanders should be obvious. Numerous recent studies reinforce the principle that honest behavior can be fostered in an organization by reminding people of their values.5 The dialogue is just as important as the concepts themselves.
In 1991, in the shadow of Tailhook, my father, Vice Admiral Thomas J. Kilcline Sr., who retired as Commander Naval Air Force Atlantic, sent me a clipping of an editorial in the Washington Times. The author bemoaned the "moral illiteracy" in our country, writing that "This should seem obvious to all of us, but it's not. And many young people today are equally at a loss to recognize the virtues of courage, temperance, honesty, generosity and charity."6 She cited the book, Virtue and Vice in Everyday Life: Introductory Readings in Ethics, by Christina Hoff Sommers and Fred Sommers, which attributed this crisis to the deterioration of moral education and the fact that many parents never instilled in their children a moral center by teaching the difference between right and wrong. In the margin of the clipping, my father added this note: "I will never forget how disappointed I was that most COs were reluctant to discuss morals or ethics. [They] did not feel that they had the authority or that such things were their business."
Let's make it our business. With the military's increasing commitments and decreasing resources, the correlation between integrity and readiness is accentuated. We cannot afford the loss of readiness, materiel, or lives because of an integrity failure by one of our Sailors. The development of Whole Sailors and whole families is critical, and as commanders we must lead Sailors and empower Navy families to do the right thing.
2. "The Navy's Biggest Betrayal," Naval History, June 2010, Volume 24, Number 3. /magazines/navalhistory/story.asp
STORY_ID=2338.3. CNO NAVGRAM Family Readiness 070233Z February 2010.
4. Michael Josephson, Making Ethical Decisions, Josephson Institute, Los Angeles, CA, March 2002.
5. Dan Ariely, "How Honest People Cheat," 29 January 2008, Harvard Business Review, 2008.
6. Suzanne Fields,
the Washington Times, 2 December 1991, Copley News Service.Vice Admiral Kilcline relinquished command as Commander Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, on 1 July 2010. During 37 years of service he led a Carrier Strike Group, Carrier Air Wing, and Fighter Squadron. He has more than 5,000 hours in Navy fighters.
Captain Elson has served as a Navy chaplain for nearly 25 years and is Force Chaplain for CNAP. He has done two tours at the U.S. Naval Academy and is a guest lecturer at the Naval War College.
Commander Sardiello is executive assistant to CNAP and Command Patrol Squadron Four Six (VP-46). He is a U.S. Naval Test Pilot School graduate with more than 2,800 flight hours.
The Whole Sailor
By Vice Admiral Thomas J. Kilcline, U.S. Navy
Crucial to the accomplishment of our mission is the comprehensive development of our Sailors, encompassing the fundamental physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of their humanity. We devote a great deal of time and energy in developing the knowledge of our Sailors, i.e., their mental capacity to accomplish their mission. Likewise, we promote and encourage their physical development and hold them to high standards in that arena as well. Recognizing that mental and physical development are but two-thirds of the equation, the question needs to be asked: What can and should we do as leaders to strengthen the development of the spiritual
defined in this context as the moral fiber of our SailorsCharacter
The great force multiplier in our Navy is character; not technology, not numbers, but character. Character is the foundation of decision-making in the Navy. Character underlies courage in its most profound sense. While there may be some debate on the exact definition of character, there can be no doubt as to our moral principles. A man or woman of character is one whose existence rests on a solid moral foundation. This foundation sustains the Sailor during the greatest trials and crises and will provide the crucial moral orientation for decision-making at the moment of greatest need.
Seen in this light, the development of character becomes as crucial to mission accomplishment as is the development of our Sailors' mental and physical abilities.
Integrity
Integrity is an integral component of one's character. The Latin root of the word, integritas, originally referred to the soundness of the armor plate covering the breasts of the Legionnaires of the Roman Empire. With integrity, all was possible in battle and all was whole. Absent integrity, there was vulnerability; indeed, there would be a "disintegrity" or disintegration.
Integrity is the unfailing trait that, above all others, a Sailor demands of leaders. They expect it of us. Absent integrity, there is no moral authority to lead. It is only when our Sailors see and identify integrity in those that lead them that we are able to demand and foster that same integrity from those who serve under us. As leaders at all levels, we must set the example with our goal of growing Sailors as people of integrity and of character. Our mission is dependent on Sailors making decisions based on foundations of solid values and beliefs.
Moral Conduct
In taking an oath upon enlistment, warrant, or commission in the United States Navy, we all have assumed the mantle of obligation for the highest professional and moral conduct. The American people have simply come to expect more from those of us in uniform. The father of our Navy, John Paul Jones, gave voice to this expectation in his expression of the qualifications of a naval officer. His words today echo sentiments that apply to all men and women in the Navy: "Every commander should keep constantly before him this great truth, that to be well obeyed, he must be perfectly esteemed."1
As leaders in the naval service, it is our duty and responsibility to help form Sailors and Marines who display such spiritual, ethical, and moral maturity that, even in the midst of the harshest of operational environments, they will continue to be people of honor who earn the pride of their families and our nation.
Just as we ensure our Sailors are mentally prepared and physically fit to accomplish our mission, we must also set the example and be the epitome of character and integrity. Our Navy's ethos of courage, honor, and commitment demand it, and we must in turn demand it of each other and of those Sailors we lead.
This essay includes excerpts of an unpublished paper, "Commandant's Intent," an address first delivered to midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy in 2002 by Lieutenant General John R. Allen, U.S. Marine Corps. It is excerpted here with permission of the author.
1. Written by Augustus C. Buell in 1900 to reflect his views of John Paul Jones (from Reef Points: 2003-2004, 98th Edition, Annapolis, MD: U.S. Naval Academy, 2003).