The Navy’s Moral Compass

Authors

Mark F. Light

Abstract

The U.S. Navy has an integrity problem in the ranks of its commanding of- ficers (COs). Consider these headlines: “Cruiser CO Relieved for ‘Cruelty.’”1 “CO Fired, Charged with Solicitation.”2 “CO of Attack Sub Fired for ‘Drunken- ness.’” These are just a few cases in a recent deluge of early reliefs of “skippers.” In 2010, twenty-three Navy COs were relieved of command and “detached for cause,” an enormous increase over previous years. The trend continues: twenty- one commanding officers were fired in 2011 as of the end of October.4 Even more worrisome is the fact that a large and increasing percentage of those dismissals are due to personal misconduct, such as sexual harassment, drunkenness, and fraternization.

Recommended Citation

Light, Mark F. (2012) "The Navy’s Moral Compass," Naval War College Review: Vol. 65: No. 3, Article 10.
Available at: https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/nwc-review/vol65/iss3/10