From Chief Mass Communication Specialist Julianne Metzger,
Chief of Naval Personnel Public Affairs
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- WASHINGTON (NNS)-Chief of Naval
Operations (CNO) Adm. Jonathan Greenert and Master Chief Petty Officer of the
Navy (MCPON) Mike Stevens released this week another episode of
"Conversation with a Shipmate" further discussing the Navy's
commitment to ethics.
The allegations of cheating at the Naval Nuclear Training
Command has spurred a reexamination of ethical behavior and integrity across
the military.
The alleged cheating incident is not a reflection of the
thousands of professional Sailors who operate daily with honor and integrity,
Greenert stated in the video.
"I do believe we have an ethics problem, but I don't
believe we have an epidemic or that we're reeling out of control when it comes
to ethical behavior of our Sailors," said Greenert. "There are
hundreds and thousands of Sailors and Civilians who are doing a magnificent job
in the Navy."
The Navy tracks all incidents concerning behavior issues.
Statistics show that conduct has gotten better over the last five years, said
Greenert.
Greenert announced in his interview that he would take
action to make these numbers more transparent to Sailors so they can see for
themselves how violations are being handled and stress the important nature of
policing ourselves.
Greenert stressed this is the discussion that needs to be
ongoing across the Navy.
Talking about ethics and integrity should be a part of a
command's daily dialogue, Greenert stated.
"Any junior Sailor, if they are wondering about a
difficult decision should ask the Chief. Junior officers should ask their
senior officers," said Greenert. "Captains should be having these
conversations on the bridge, every day."
Leadership also has to be approachable, so that people can
report issues when they see them, said Greenert.
"Understand that everyone is human, leaders should
anticipate mistakes," said Greenert. "Leadership has to be open to
self-correction."
It's not always easy for someone to address an ethical
dilemma when they see it, said MCPON Stevens.
"It's often a close friend or shipmate that is out of
control," said Stevens. "How you address it is important."
Both MCPON Stevens and the CNO pointed out that there is the
impression that each instance of wrongdoing reaches the highest levels of the
Navy, when in fact a majority of these issues involving a violation of
integrity can simply be handled at the lowest levels.
This is the benefit of our military chain of command.
Sailors should discuss the problem with someone they trust
and make a plan to handle the situation at the lowest level if possible, said
Stevens.
"We all have anxieties about 'turning each other
in'," said Greenert. But most minor ethical violations can be handled at
lower levels before situations become egregious, Greenert stated.
"That's the beauty of our military culture, you can
handle these issues in a chain of command," said Greenert. "The
sooner the better."
Integrity is the foundation of our military and trust is the
essence of what we're about, said Greenert.
"If we lose our trust, and we don't have that
integrity," said Greenert, "when does it stop? How do you know that
those little choices you make aren't the ones that make the difference?"
Secretary of Defense Hagel last month announced two separate
reviews of the Nuclear Enterprise that will look at both the managerial aspect
and personnel accountability and health of the force to examine where there may
be potential gaps in our application of training and execution.
"Our profession is inherently dangerous," said
Stevens. "We have to have absolute unquestionable trust in the people
we're around. One mistake can mean you aren't coming home."
It's not just something that we talk about; it's something
that we all should live, said Stevens.
To watch the whole conversation go to this link:
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