Armed Forces News

The Defense Department has not done enough to improve its ethics program, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). In a Sept. 3 report, the government’s chief watchdog agency said the Pentagon “has not fully addressed a 2008 internal recommendation to develop a department-wide values-based ethics program, which would emphasize ethical principles and decision-making to foster an ethical culture and achieve high standards of conduct.” DoD studied the matter and issued some guidelines, but took no further action, the GAO stated. The report also noted that while DoD created the temporary position of Senior Advisor for Military Professionalism, the department has not developed timelines to assess progress. The position is slated to end next March, but could be extended. The GAO recommended that the Pentagon determine if there is a need for a values-based program, and fashion training and guidance to identify “ethics and professionalism issues.”