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In the news: Study looks at lying in the U.S. military

 
Published Feb. 21, 2015

Dodging the issue

Study looks at lying in the U.S. military

A study by Army War College professors found that not only is lying common in the military, the armed forces themselves may be inadvertently encouraging it.

The study was conducted by retired Army officers and current War College professors Leonard Wong and Stephen Gerras. They found that untruthfulness is "surprisingly common in the U.S. military even though members of the profession are loath to admit it."

The study found that many Army officers have become "ethically numb" in the face of overwhelming demands and the need to put their reputations on the line to verify that standards and requirements are met.

The issue affects the whole military, but the professors focused on the Army, interviewing scores of officers.

"When pressed for specifics on how they managed, officers tended to dodge the issue with statements such as, 'You gotta make priorities, we met the intent, or we got creative,' " the report said. "In other words, in the routine performance of their duties as leaders and commanders, U.S. Army officers lie," the paper concludes.

It recommends reinforcing restraint and acknowledging ethical shortfalls.

Washington Post