Hagel's parting ethics advice to brass: Do better

Tom Vanden Brook | USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — Senior military officers, such as the Navy admirals censured for their role in a bribery scandal, risk discrediting the military when it needs public support more than ever, according to a memo signed by outgoing Defense secretary Chuck Hagel and obtained by USA TODAY.

The Navy's ongoing "Fat Leonard" scandal involving bribes and prostitutes in exchange for secret information is one example of unethical behavior among senior military leaders that led to Hagel's high-level review of their behavior and the memo he signed Feb. 12.

The memo signed in one of Hagel's last acts on the job warns military brass and senior civilians at the Pentagon that "when senior leaders forfeit this trust through unprofessional, unethical or morally questionable behavior, their actions have an enormously negative effect on the profession."

Hagel's memo avoids specific remedies, suggesting instead general approaches such as emphasizing "senior leader accountability" and the need to keep studying the problem. That likely was done to give his successor, Ashton Carter, who was sworn in Tuesday, flexibility to deal with the issue, said Jerry Hendrix, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security and retired Navy captain.

"His last message out the door was not going to be a prescription," Hendrix said. "He's giving a diagnosis to his successors, advice to Ash Carter."

That diagnosis, while not terminal, isn't great. More than 15 generals and admirals have been disciplined for bad or criminal behavior since 2010. A historian, Hendrix said ethical problems among top leaders are as bad as they've been in the post-World War II era. The pressure to make hugely expensive weapon systems a success has bred scandal, including prison time for an Air Force officer in its effort to build a new refueling tanker.

Current and recent scandals include:

• The Navy's ongoing investigation of senior sailors who have pleaded guilt or have been charged or under investigation in the so-called "Fat Leonard" affair. It takes its name from Glenn Francis, the owner of a firm that serviced ships in Southeast Asia. Federal prosecutors say, Leonard, a huge man, plied sailors with cash, gifts and prostitutes in exchange for secret information on ship movements and profited from it. Last week, the Navy censured three admirals for taking gifts and lavish meals from Leonard. They are retiring.

• National Guard and Army recruiting programs hurt by fraud and waste. Last year, hundreds of National Guard soldiers were under criminal investigation for kickback schemes involving bonuses for signing up recruits. Last month, a former Army recruiter reaped nearly $4 million in bonuses by setting up a website that appeared to be an official Army portal. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., called on the Army to investigate.

• The military still has a major problem with sexual assaults in the ranks despite a 27% drop in estimated incidents from 2012. In 2014, the Pentagon estimates there were 19,000 incidents of unwanted sexual contact. Top brass has been part of the problem, including Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Sinclair, who last year was reprimanded and fined $20,000 after admitting that he committed adultery and mistreated his former mistress who had nicknamed him Papa Panda Sexy Pants. He also pleaded guilty to possessing thousands of pornographic images.

• The Air Force in recent years has fired or disciplined dozens of airmen involved in cheating on proficiency tests. The service also scolded a two-star general, Maj. Gen. Michael Carey, in its missile program after he went on a drunken binge in Moscow, offending his hosts and embarrassing members of the delegation he led.

Hagel established an office to examine such unethical behavior and named Rear Adm. Margaret Klein to lead it. She'll hold the job for another year. One of her charges, the memo directs, will be to study the cause of ethical "lapses" and to improve training and education.

The scandals stole time that Hagel would have spent on other priorities, and prompted him to launch the effort led by Klein, Hendrix said.

The memo's advice is vintage Hagel, Hendrix said.

"This is a Nebraskan simply telling people to do better," Hendrix said. "He's calling to their better angels. He's old school."