2008/12/17 00:00:00
One way MOAA attempts to fulfill our goal of being the professional association of choice for all military officers and their families is by promoting enduring values of military professionals, including the highest ethical standards.
Each month, this page will feature a different ethics case study provided by Capt. Rick Rubel, USN-Ret., distinguished Professor of Ethics at the U.S. Naval Academy. With each case study, Rubel will provide suggested questions, and readers will be able to discuss and comment. Whether you are currently serving, in a second career, or retired, there will be something here that makes you think. Unlike rules of engagement or standards of conduct, remember there is not necessarily a right answer to an ethical dilemma.
We hope you find this series interesting, but more important, we hope to promote discussion and thinking about ethical challenges facing people in uniform, whether in combat or in the normal course of duty. Be sure to check back in January for the author’s comments on this case study.
By Capt. Rick Rubel, USN-Ret.
Questions for the Reader
- To whom do you give your top rating?
- How did you make that determination?
- What is the fair decision?
- What is the right decision?
You are the CO of a unit, and it’s time to write fitness reports on your O-4s. You have a clear breakout of quality and are considering how to rank them. You know the words you use in the reports are important, but the real promotion opportunity is seen in how you rank your junior officers — numerically. You can give only one “Must Promote” and two “Promotes.” The fourth will be given a less-favorable rating.
By far, your top O-4 is Major Jarrod. He probably is the best officer you have seen in your entire 26-year career and has done an excellent job with everything you have asked him to do. But he has had his separation papers in for more than six months and is planning on leaving the service in two months. He already has a civilian job lined up and has indicted he is not considering the reserves.
Your next highest officer is Major Lee. He is hardworking and career-minded, but he’s not nearly the caliber of junior officer as Major Jarrod. His achievements in the performance period have been very good, and he always gets the job done with hard work and brute force. He works late at night and comes in on the weekend to make sure his area of responsibility is covered — he is extremely conscientious. His work ethic will serve him well as a future XO and CO.
The next two O-4s clearly are below the performance level of Majors Jarrod and Lee.
You think about who should receive your top rating. This rating likely will determine who gets promoted and who does not. You think, Do I want to waste this top rating on someone who is getting out and seems to have less loyalty to the service? On the other hand, you think, Major Jarrod clearly is the better officer.
About the Author: Capt. Rick Rubel, USN-Ret., currently is the distinguished military professor of Ethics at the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md. After a 30-year career in the Navy, he has taught the Core Ethics Course for 10 years and has served as course director for the past six years. He is coauthor and coeditor of Case Studies in Military Ethics (Pearson Publishing, 2006).
Copyright Capt. Rick Rubel, USN-Ret., and Military Officers Association of America. All rights reserved.
Read the author's analysis and tell us what you think.
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Major Krusko |
2/13/2009 1:05:23 PM |
I don't agree that "getting out" is a negative measurement of loyalty. Officers leave military service for a variety of reasons and an unfair, unreasonable, broken rating / promotion system is just one of them. We need to judge the individual and fix the system.
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Colonel Nelson |
2/11/2009 3:25:03 PM |
Just read COL Gift's second comment...concur. The dilemma being in his mind,I wonder where this unit commmander stands in his ownCO's ranking.
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Captain Crecelius |
2/11/2009 3:18:37 PM |
Not a hard choice. Top rating goes to the top performer irrespective of his/her career plans.
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Colonel Nelson |
2/11/2009 3:14:35 PM |
Col {Ret} Nelson As a matter my own professional integrity I must give top rating to Jarrod, Maj Lee gets a "Promote". Number 4 muat go to the least qualified...don't know who, based on the information provided.
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Colonel Babcock |
1/17/2009 9:20:26 AM |
Rate on merit irrespective of Jarod's plan to resign. 1. Jarod, 2. Lee. The decision on 3 & 4 is more difficult given the small amount of information provided and the big implications of the rating for #4.
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Colonel Belanger |
1/16/2009 12:14:05 AM |
Simple -- MAJ Jarrod is the top officer and gets the Must Promote. MAJ Lee gets the Promote recommendation. Not enough facts in evidence to determine a rating for either of the remaining two officers here.
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Colonel Thompson |
1/15/2009 6:58:15 PM |
This whole often corrupt process is not based on merit; it is based on one's relationship to one's rater and often the rater evaluates a subordinate in a manner he would never find acceptable in his own rater's evaluation of him. Laughably, Federal employees most of whom are clueless as to the sacrifices of the military are virtually tenured for life at pay scales often vastly superior to the military. Not many GS-13's in the Federal government could survive a military promotion board. The military promotion system may be necessary in its current format; but it brings unsupported subjectivity to a level in which the enemy is friendlier on the battlefield than too many raters are to their subordinates.
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Colonel Gift |
1/15/2009 2:10:35 PM |
One added comment. I just read Maj Shelton's take on this and adamantly disagree that he allow Maj Jarrod to make the decision. This is leadership?
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Colonel Gift |
1/15/2009 2:06:24 PM |
To me this is simple. I have always had a policy to do what's best for my people regardless of the consequences to my organization or the service. I would give the definitely promote to Major Jarrod. And, I would use the strongest language that is credible for Maj Lee's report. Who knows, if he's promoted Major Jarrod might change his mind. Regardless, he's earned the top ticket.
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Colonel Surwilo |
1/15/2009 1:07:53 AM |
I realize the question is who gets the "must promote", but the real problem may lie in which of the two lower 04'gets a "promote" and which gets a "lower rating" (read kiss of death). Assuming the two "lower 04's" are worthy of promotion, it may be that Major Shelton (see below) has the right idea.
