Is it integrity or ethical behaviour that should guide our army?

“Ethics refers to the principles, values, and standards that guide people in determining what is right and wrong. It influences how we make decisions, interact with others, and respond to challenges in our daily lives.”

“Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong, unwavering moral principles. It means ‘practicing what you preach’ and consistently doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.” 

If you become aware of someone asleep at the wheel, it is your ethical responsibility to wake them.  Sadly, for those in the ADF, the wreckage caused by failure in this space is omni-present.  The military has been under the spell of an insidious malaise with respect to ethics for decades.  

Why? … because complacency is easy; it requires neither self-discipline nor courage.  On the other hand, both these qualities are needed if someone is to stand up for what is right and not be cowered by a pervasive culture into simply going along with the mob.  Acting with integrity means standing up against unethical behaviour!  

Those who do, deserve real acknowledgement!

The difference between ethics and integrity?  Ethical behaviour is something that can be faked; acting with integrity, not so. 

Demonstrating integrity, means showing honesty, fairness and transparency, at all times; actions centred on strong moral principles.

Unfortunately, what is ethical and what isn’t, is ill-defined; which, of course, is a big part of the problem.

“Integrity is internal. It’s our personal choice of how we want to behave – personally and professionally.   It’s what sits right with us – in our gut, our conscience, and our heart – and allows us to sleep at night.”

Integrity is being honest and doing the right thing.  Ethics provides the context, but it’s integrity which ensures the consistent application of standards in daily behaviour. 

In a previous post I ventured:

“What is to be gained by the ADF encouraging its members to take an ethical approach to matters they deal with on a day-to-day basis?  In a word, the benefit is Trust … the result of a working environment in which human values are paramount: the dignity of the individual is respected; undertakings are honoured; those in need are helped; and decisions are taken which result in just outcomes.  There is no profession in which trust is more important, than the profession of arms.”

Do you gain ‘trust’, by acting ethically … or with integrity?  The answer is undoubtedly the latter. 

An Army comprised of soldiers who act with integrity, must be the goal.  But how do you influence people to act accordingly?  

Everyone being a role model, is probably the only way! 

Lieutenant Colonel Bruce Cameron, MC, RAAC (Ret’d)

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FILE PHOTO: Australian Army recruits in training at 1st Training Battalion, Kapooka, NSW. 1RTB photo.

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