Core Value Of Integrity In The Military Essay

Cheating on military exams has recently been brought to the attention of the public eye due to a small group of individuals making a series of poor decisions in Charleston, SC. This was a localized incident and is not a reflection of the nuclear Navy as a whole. The core value of integrity is vital in the role as Naval nuclear operators and, now that integrity that has been brought into question by the people who rely on the Navy to protect their country. Standards within the nuclear Navy have remained steadfast since the dawn of its creation. These standards have directly contributed to the successful operation of both nuclear powered submarines and surface vessels alike for over fifty years.
When the public was informed of a potential cheating scandal at a Navy training command it immediately caused many questions

The exam is question had a relatively high failure rate and the consequences of failing could result in the sailor being sent back to sea. Sailors spend four and a half years at sea before they go to a shore command so this alone could have provided the motivation to pursue any means to ensure success on the exam. A sailor must deal with the stress of potentially not having adequate time to prepare for the exam while understanding failure could result in his or her shore duty being taken away.
“A key to understanding the link between stress in organizational behavior and individuals is the understanding that some degree of stress in the normal workplace cannot be avoided and is not necessarily a negative factor”. (Ejim, 2015) The difficulty of the exam should encourage sailors to study, but supervisors should be mindful and ensure personnel do not become overwhelmed which could lead to cheating. Excessive stress could lead to poor decision making and a supervisor should intervene to prevent a subordinate from making a poor decision if due to stress