Fed-up Leon Panetta orders high level U.S. military leaders to receive ethics re-training after Petraeus sex scandal 

  • After a year of high profile public indiscretions by senior U.S. military figures - Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is ordering an ethics review for all commanders

By James Nye

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Citing a string of ethical lapses by senior military officers, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has asked the Joint Chiefs of Staff to review ethics training and to brainstorm on ways to steer officers away from trouble.

The move is a reflection of the depth of concern triggered by a series of misconduct cases in a military that prides itself on integrity and honor but has suffered an unusual number of stumbles after a decade of war.

In a memo to General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Panetta made no explicit reference to the David Petraeus sex scandal, which also has ensnared the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, General John Allen - but nonetheless ordered the review.

Re-Training: U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta has ordered an ethics review for high level U.S. military commanders following a series of embarrassing scandals this year

Re-Training: U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta has ordered an ethics review for high level U.S. military commanders following a series of embarrassing scandals this year

Panetta's press secretary, George Little, said the memo was the product of internal Pentagon discussions that began before Petraeus announced he was resigning as CIA director because of an extramarital affair.

'I will emphasize very strongly that the secretary was going to embark on this course long before the matters that have come to light over the past week,' Little said. He added that Panetta believes the vast majority of senior military officers serve with distinction and in accordance with ethical standards.

 

Panetta mentioned no specific cases of officer misconduct but noted in his memo to Dempsey that, 'as has happened recently, when lapses occur, they have the potential to erode public confidence in our leadership and in our system for the enforcement of our high ethical standards.

'Worse, they can be detrimental to the execution of our mission to defend the American people.'

US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Thai Minister of Defense Sukampol Suwannathat shake hands after signing the 2012 Joint Vision Statement for the Thai - US Defense Alliance today
US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Thai Minister of Defense Sukampol Suwannathat shake hands after signing the 2012 Joint Vision Statement for the Thai - US Defense Alliance today (right)

US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Thai Minister of Defense Sukampol Suwannathat  shake hands after signing the 2012 Joint Vision Statement for the Thai - US Defense Alliance today (right)

A number of senior officers have faced disciplinary action this year for misconduct, including Gen. William 'Kip' Ward, who was reduced in rank from four stars to three this week after investigators determined that he had misused government funds for lavish spending while commanding U.S. Africa Command.

Brigadier General Jeffrey A. Sinclair is waiting on a potential court martial after being accused of 26 violations of military law including forcible sodomy, wrongful sexual conduct, possessing pornography while deployed and conduct unbecoming of an officer.

The offences allegedly occurred in Germany and the Middle East and in May, Sinclair was removed from his role as deputy commander for support in Afghanistan.

And in November, Navy Commander Joseph E. Darlak and officers of the frigate USS Vandegrift were relieved of duty after a drunken port visit to Vladivostok, Russia.

An internal investigation found that Darlak has exhibited, 'poor leadership and failure to ensure the proper conduct of his wardroom officers' during the three day visit.

Panetta told Dempsey to work with the chiefs of the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps to review ethics training for officers to determine whether they are adequate, and to provide views on 'how to better foster a culture of value-based decision-making and stewardship' among senior officers and their staffs.

That is another way of saying Panetta wants a game plan for ending the string of bad behavior.

Caught in the Act: A combination photo shows CIA Director David Petraeus (left) and U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. John Allen

Caught in the Act: A combination photo shows CIA Director David Petraeus (left) and U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. John Allen

According to sources who have worked first hand with senior U.S. military figures, a culture has developed in which some believe they are above the law.

'With the senior guys and the flag officers, this is like the new royalty,' said Frank Wuco, speaking to NBC News.

'We treat them like kings and princes. These general officers in the military, at a certain point, become untouchable.

'In many cases, they get their own airplanes, their own helicopters.
'When they walk into a room, everybody comes to attention. In the case of some of them, people are very afraid to speak up or to disagree.

'Being separated from real life all the time in that way probably leaves them vulnerable.'

He said the initial results of the chiefs' review, along with their recommendations, should be ready in time for Panetta to report to President Barack Obama by Dec. 1.

The text of the Panetta memo, which he signed on Wednesday, was provided Thursday to reporters traveling with the Pentagon chief, who was in Bangkok for talks with senior Thai government officials in advance of Obama's visit here this weekend.

'Beyond mere compliance with the rules, I also expect senior officers and civilian executives to exercise sound judgment in their stewardship of government resources and in their personal conduct,' Panetta said. 'An action may be legally permissible but neither advisable nor wise.'

Affair: Almost a week ago David Petraeus was exposed for having had an extra-marital affair with his biographer Paula Broadwell

Affair: Almost a week ago David Petraeus was exposed for having had an extra-marital affair with his biographer Paula Broadwell

The scandal that has gripped Washington emerged when Jill Kelley (left) received threatening emails from Paula Broadwell and asked Frederick Humphries (right) to investigate
The scandal that has gripped Washington emerged when Jill Kelley (left) received threatening emails from Paula Broadwell and asked FBI Agent Frederick Humphries (right) to investigate

The scandal that has gripped Washington emerged when Jill Kelley (left) received threatening emails from Paula Broadwell and asked FBI Agent Frederick Humphries (right) to investigate

Panetta said he intends to raise these issues in a meeting next month with all of the military service chiefs, the services' civilian leaders and the generals and admirals who lead major commands like U.S. Central Command.

'Ultimately, when their failure becomes public, they may get punished. Bottom line: Today being a general is like being a tenured professor. You can do a lousy job and keep it, but if you embarrass the institution with moral lapses, you will get bounced,' said Thomas Ricks, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security.

Dempsey said Thursday that he has been concerned for many months about an apparent slip in ethical standards within the military — both in the officer corps and in the enlisted ranks.

In an interview with the Pentagon's internal news service, American Forces Press Service, Dempsey said he noticed disturbing trends last spring.

'In response to these issues I have communicated through a memorandum to every four-star in every service,' Dempsey said. 'I expressed my concern and encouraged their interest and their active involvement in helping us to understand what really is going on and what's not.'

Indeed, Frank Wuco made the point that infidelity in the U.S. military is nothing new for its highest ranking officers.

Brigadier General Jeffrey Sinclair, Left) a U.S. Army general faces charges of forcible sodomy and engaging in inappropriate relationships while
Brigadier General Jeffrey Sinclair, Left) a U.S. Army general faces charges of forcible sodomy and engaging in inappropriate relationships while Navy Cmdr. Joseph E. Darlak (right) of the San Diego-based Navy frigate USS Vandegrift

Brigadier General Jeffrey Sinclair, Left) a U.S. Army general faces charges of forcible sodomy and engaging in inappropriate relationships while Navy Cmdr. Joseph E. Darlak (right) of the San Diego-based Navy frigate USS Vandegrift is accused of inappropriate behaviour while on shore-leave in Russia this month

Relieved: Former commander of the U.S. Africa Command General William Ward addresses a news conference in Algiers November 25, 2009

Relieved: Former commander of the U.S. Africa Command General William Ward addresses a news conference in Algiers November 25, 2009

Dwight D. Eisenhower and General George S. Patten were known to have had affairs while commanding forces in Europe during World War Two, but this was never made public in the manner of the Petraeus scandal.

'We’re in a different time now,' said Robert O. Kirkland, a military historian who teaches at the University of Southern California.

'Maybe some things in the past were overlooked,' said Kirkland.

'They’re now enforced.'

Ethics issues associated with the Petraeus and Allen matters were raised during Panetta's joint news conference Thursday with his Thai counterpart, Sukampol Suwannathat.

The two spoke to reporters after signing an update to a 1962 U.S.-Thai statement framing the security relationship.

The United States and Thailand are treaty allies — a relationship that Washington sees as a cornerstone of its security interests in Asia.

Panetta said he knows of no other senior U.S. military officers being linked to the Petraeus investigation, and he said he retains 'tremendous confidence' in Allen.

'I am not aware of any others that could be involved in this issue at the present time,' he said, adding that he wanted the American public to understand that the vast majority of military officers serve ethically.

Different Era: General Dwight Eisenhower (left) is acknowledged to have had an extra-marital affair while serving in World War Two as is General George S. Patton (right)
Different Era: General Dwight Eisenhower (left) is acknowledged to have had an extra-marital affair while serving in World War Two as is General George S. Patton (right)

Different Era: General Dwight Eisenhower (left) is acknowledged to have had an extra-marital affair while serving in World War Two as is General George S. Patton (right)

'One thing I do demand,' he said, 'is that those who seek to protect this country operate by the highest ethical standards.'

Panetta declined to describe the nature of the emails and other correspondence between Allen and Florida socialite Jill Kelley, which others have called flirtatious and potentially problematic for the Marine four-star general.

Asked whether any of those emails are sexually explicit, Panetta said, 'What I don't want to do is to try to characterize those communications because I don't want to do anything' to limit the ability of the Pentagon inspector general to conduct an objective review of the Allen matter.

The Defense Secretary ordered the investigation Monday after the FBI referred the matter to the Pentagon's top lawyer.

Allen issued a statement through his lawyer saying he is committed to cooperating fully with the investigation.

Panetta also told reporters he could not rule out the possibility that the Taliban in Afghanistan would try to use Petraeus' admission of an extramarital affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell, for propaganda purposes.

Petraeus, who resigned Friday from his post as CIA director, was Allen's predecessor as top commander in Afghanistan, leaving in summer 2011.

Panetta is the first U.S. defense secretary to visit Thailand since 2008. The U.S. has no troops permanently stationed in Thailand but it conducts regular exercises with the Thai military and has numerous other forms of cooperation.

 

The comments below have not been moderated.

Leaders of men need to be told how to act. How sad is that!

Click to rate     Rating   1

I think he should buy them rubbers instead......

Click to rate     Rating   1

A coward politician going to teach about morals and ethics? Isn't he being investigated for calling the military to stand down and let Stevens be killed in Libya? Who the H is he to talk?

Click to rate     Rating   (0)

Ah, good ole punitive training. As a corporate trainer, we just love having these people in class. They're always so cheerful and open to learning. Not.

Click to rate     Rating   2

Far too late for ethics training!

Click to rate     Rating   4

Training will solve everything. Great work, Panetta! Way to lead!

Click to rate     Rating   2

The first part of the ethics training should deal with tre issue of why the US and it "allies" are in Afghanistan in the first place...Maybe Bush and Blair could jointly moderate that class.

Click to rate     Rating   5

good luck on that..about 95% of the men AND woman in the military will need it.....if you think this is just a guy thing..you're surely out of tune on how the military lives...

Click to rate     Rating   8

Ethics training? How about IQ testing!! These men show no fundamental social judgment or social reasoning skills. The Kelly woman disrespectfully walked all over them and Broadwell was a vulture. An even more basic issue is how Broadwell was allowed access for a biography in the first place? Doesn't the US govt have people of their own for such purposes, who have been carefully screened and cleared? And why on earth was Kelly allowed such open access to Petraeus and Allen? Just dumbfounding how folks can have such easy access to, of all people,military generals. Panetta's internal structure needs investigating.

Click to rate     Rating   23

Ethical standards ? A few months ago it was the secret service and now the military..we are the Joke of the World.

Click to rate     Rating   21

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