Please provide a 300-350 word response to the three Discussion (3 separate REsponses) Responsing postings. Justify and support your answer using your experience, and source support from the assigned readings.
Discussion Response 2;
O. – Initial Response to Scenario 2.1 – Responsibility, Accountability, and Discipline
QUESTION 1: Relationships between Responsibility, Accountability, and Discipline
In the Missileer Testing Scandal, the relationship between responsibility, accountability, and discipline was crucial. According to The Armed Forces Officer, responsibility is the duty to perform actions with integrity, accountability means being held responsible for those actions, and discipline refers to following rules and maintaining self-control. (Department of Defense, 2017, p. 59)
In this scandal, the missile officers failed in their responsibility to act with honesty during tests designed to ensure their competency in handling nuclear weapons. Their primary duty was to protect national security, but cheating showed a major failure in fulfilling this obligation. Accountability was also weak, as the cheating scandal involved a large number of officers. This suggests that their leaders were not holding them accountable for their actions, nor were they enforcing high standards of performance and integrity. Lastly, discipline was clearly lacking, both in terms of individual self-discipline and the enforcement of external rules. The officers chose to prioritize personal success over their duty, and their leaders failed to create an environment where rules were strictly enforced. These three concepts are interconnected, when one fails, it often triggers the breakdown of the others, as seen in this scandal.
QUESTION 2: Was the Removal of Leaders Appropriate?
The removal of leaders after the scandal was justified. Leadership in the military is about setting an example and maintaining high standards for the entire unit. The Armed Forces Officer highlights that leaders are responsible for their actions and those of their subordinates. (Department of Defense, 2017, p. 59) The fact that the cheating scandal was so widespread points to a failure in leadership at several levels. It’s not just the responsibility of individual officers to follow the rules; it’s also the job of leaders to create a culture where accountability and discipline are emphasized. By allowing such widespread cheating, the leaders failed to uphold their responsibility to enforce standards.
If the leaders had remained in their positions, it would have sent a message that unethical behavior and lack of accountability are tolerable, which would further erode trust in the military. Their removal was necessary to restore the integrity of the institution and show that maintaining high ethical standards is critical in the military profession. Without such action, the military’s commitment to responsibility, accountability, and discipline would be seriously undermined.
References
Department of Defense. (2017). The Armed Forces Officer. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
Discussion Response 3;
S. Response to Scenario 2.1 – Responsibility, Accountability, and Discipline
QUESTION 1: What were the relationships between these three core concepts as they relate to the Missileer Testing Scandal?
This case study was very interesting to me since I recently worked with a Lt Col here who came from Maelstrom AB and was a Missileer. This entire event still seemed to make him anxious.
How the Missileer Testing Scandal related to the 3 core concepts – responsibility, discipline, and leadership. The officers involved in the scandal held the critical responsibility of maintaining and operating the U.S. nuclear arsenal, a role that demands the highest level of integrity and competence. The monthly proficiency tests were designed to ensure missileers could perform under pressure and handle sensitive equipment. However, by cheating on these tests, the missileers violated the core concept of responsibility. Their actions reflected a disregard for the ethical duty that comes with their position, compromising the security and trust placed in them by the Air Force.
The breakdown of discipline was a major contributing factor to the scandal. As we read stated in letters by George Washington when he was a commander “Discipline is the soul of an army”. Therefore, maintaining discipline is foundational to maintaining moral and operational standards in the military. The culture within the missileer ranks, which emphasized achieving perfect scores, led to a systemic issue where officers felt compelled to cheat to meet unrealistic expectations. This erosion of discipline was not only a personal failure, but I’d argue a systemic one, as it was exacerbated by external pressures and a lack of corrective action from leadership.
Finally, leadership played a pivotal role in the scandal. Leaders in the chain of command were responsible for fostering an environment where responsibility and discipline were upheld. However, leadership’s focus on zero tolerance for failure and perfection contributed to a culture where cheating became a widespread solution. Effective leadership should have emphasized ethical behavior and the importance of honest performance assessments, yet the leadership climate created the opposite effect.
However, I could see where statements like the one we read from General Patton “There is only one kind of discipline, perfect discipline.” Could create the kind of climate amongst us officers.
QUESTION 2: Was the removal of these leaders appropriate? Why, or Why not?
The removal of several individuals from command-level positions in the aftermath of the Missileer Testing Scandal was appropriate. Leadership holds the ultimate responsibility for setting the tone and culture within their command. In this case, the leaders failed to create an environment where integrity and discipline were prioritized. Instead, their focus on perfection and the “zero-fail” mentality contributed to the unethical actions of the missileers.
Outside of our assigned readings, one of my favorite leadership books is from Jocko Willink and I think one of his quotes really relates here “Leaders must own everything in their world. There is no one else to blame.”
The decision to remove these leaders was necessary to restore confidence in the system. It sent a strong message that ethical lapses would not be tolerated, especially when it comes to managing such a critical aspect of national security (nuclear weapons). By holding leaders accountable, the Air Force could begin rebuilding trust and reinforcing the importance of responsibility, discipline, and ethical leadership in the ranks.
Heinl, Col Robert Debs Jr., USMC (Ret.). Dictionary of Military and Naval Quotations. Annapolis, MD: United States Naval Institute, 1988.
Patton, Gen George S. Jr. War As I Knew It. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1947.
Willink, Jocko, and Leif Babin. Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2015.
