ETHICAL SCENARIO

Being a Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) in the Air Force is a higher rank. They are often put in different developmental roles due to their outstanding competence level and capabilities. They receive a yearly rated evaluation that will highlight their accomplishment and successes during the twelve months rated period. As a career officer, Tom and his family seem to be on the right path though they've had some rough times in the past they quickly got back on their feet and continued to worship the Lord as a devoted Christian. It is said in James 1:12, "Blessed is the man that endured temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him” (James 1:12, ESV). Having Ruth as a wife is God-given, though, in the past, family finances were a man's role in a family, Ruth seems to be putting that stereotypic idea to rest for good. Tom and Ruth are critical of their three children; at this stage, they must do everything morally to build a good foundation for the girls.

Military top tier weapon systems are one of the most classified information out there. Though Tom and Bob are best friends, they cannot share information about their respective projects due to classification requirements. As a service member, security awareness is critical in every mission, various higher-level mission requirements are needs to know basis, and any suspicious contact and adverse information must be reported. Bob has demonstrated about three of more suspicious behavior that violates security requirements and must be reported in other to safeguard classified material. The project is critical and must be accomplished. With several years of congressional resistance, is it imperative to deliver a result that will convince members of congress on future decisions. The unfortunate part of this project is the weapons failure to meet requirements sets forth by congress. This is a big dilemma; Tom is a Christian and must live a life of truth in all his endeavors. Though this is doable times is everything, Tom needs to make use of time to avoid slipping. Through thick and thin, Lt Col Brown must make an ethical decision that is favored by the Lord

Examine the Facts

The US government, without a doubt, wants to invest in its competitive advantage. With the rise of China and Russia in the various military arsenal, the defense department is keen on developing multiple weapon systems that will thrive in numerous operations and put the United States far ahead of its adversaries at any given time. Security-conscious is critical in every aspect of the military. Adversaries are always looking to exploit every weak link within the US military in other to undermine their capabilities. Both projects that are spearheaded by Tom and Bob are classified, and improper safeguarding, handling, reproduction, transmission, disposition, or disclosure of classified material is a reportable security incident to the security officer. This is punishable by law for a fine up to $10,000 or 10 years in prison (DoD Training Guide, n.d). For it is written in Matthew 18:15-16, “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses” (Matthew 18:15-16, ESV).

Timely delivery is the key to the project, but Lt Col Brown also needs to deliver quality results. Results based on lies and deceit could eventually damage his reputation as a field grade officer and have severe consequences in his career sooner or later. Tom needs to do everything within his ability and deliver an accurate result. Though his time is limited, his intent to present correct test data is on course; in any case, he will have to demand additional time in other to present accurate data.

Truth Matters-Seek the truth.

Lt Col Tom Brown and his family are devoted Christian. He has had issues in the past that nearly ended his career. He needs to learn from the past in other to advance rightfully in the future. As a Christian, Tom needs to seek guidance from the holy spirit and pray to the almighty Lord. It is said in the book of Psalm, chapter 25, "Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long” (Psalm 25, ESV). His present circumstance, role in the military, and his religious belief are essential to his family and the United States government. Though his project has failed to deliver the best results in time, nothing is too late in the presence of the Lord. Luke 1:45 gives much greater assurance that "Blessed is one who believes that the Lord will fulfill his promises to them" (Luke 1:45, ESV). As a believer, Tom's faith and his religious absolutes will guide him to make decisions that will pave the way for him to get closer to the Lord.

Help from Others

Circumstances like this will be a more noteworthy test to human confidence. This is a classified data and must not be imparted to anyone. However, Tom can seek guidance from his wife, Ruth, based on ethics. He will need to narrate a similar ethical dilemma in other to get excellent advice and inputs from his wife. Ruth has been supportive of her husband's career; she prays for her family to seek protection and guidance for her family. She devoted Christian; Ruth will be challenged in a different way to share ideas with Lt Col Brown through biblical readings and advice from the Bible. With God, all things are possible. Lt Col Brown and his family will need spiritual discipline to make ethical decisions.

Identify the Ethical Absolutes, Virtues, Principles, Precepts, Values and Character that Relate to the Dilemma

Lt Col Brown needs to get even closer to God to avoid being taken away from my sins. His core values are much important at this point. As a devoted Christian, his true values, justice, and honesty should motivate him for actions. Lt Col brown will follow the ethics of the Holy Bible, and this is non-conflicting absolutism. Indeed, according to the Bible, the Holy Spirit not only seeks to enable God’s people to hear his heart in this or that life situation but to honor it as well. This reality lies at the heart of my insistence that it’s a pneumatological realism that makes a moral realism possible (Tyra, 2015). In humans' eyes, we often chose to avoid circumstances; we will often do anything possible even if it requires lies and deceit in other to get comfort. Though this might give us peace temporarily, in the eyes of our Lord, nothing is hidden. His commitment to duty, integrity, and loyalty to his family and country will see him through the dilemma and eventually prevail against dilemmas that will jeopardize his career, reputation, and family.

Consider the Consequences, Creative Alternatives, and Other Applicable Theories & Doctrines, etc

The consequences could be brutal on both sides. Tom will need to report the security issue to the appropriate authority. This is absolutely against the law, though Tom and Bob are best friends, the extent of the security damage could be extreme, he needs to report the situation in other to put the issue to order. This could jeopardize their friendship, but safety is vital. Considering this as an insider threat, he must follow proper security guidelines in other to mitigate these behaviors and situations.

Altering the test results is not only ethically wrong but could jeopardize his career in the future. In any case, Tom knows the importance of the weapon system, and he knows how critical it is to the future mission. On the bright side, Lt Col Brown has identified deficiencies that could be corrected to others to produce the best results. Though time is not on his side Lt Col Brown needs to do everything in his ability to produce a result that is objective and transparent before they publish the data results. If they alter results without correcting the deficiencies identified, the weapon system could fail drastically during critical war moments, and that could cause massive losses or could eventually lead to death.

Discussion/Decision/Rationale.

Tom and Bob are good friends, but his recent behavior and seems to violate security protocols. Tom needs to report that to his security manager. Security is a shared effort; whoever sees an incident and fails to indicate it is just as guilty. Tom, as a field grade officer with great Christian background he must cut all barriers and report any security violations that will jeopardize the security of the United States. He can choose to preserve their friendship and not notify the breach; this could eventually get him in trouble in the future should Bob report that Tom had an idea of his offenses.

Lt Col Brown will have to write a formal appeal to his project chief. He will then explain the detail of the shortcomings of the test and the solutions that cane applied in other to produce better results for publication. He knows the importance of the weapon system, and that makes it even more dangerous to present falsified information to congress and ultimately fooling the department of defense on their new weapon capabilities. In the future, this could cause great regret and jeopardize the security of the country and its citizens.

Stand for God.

John 1:4 gives an assurance that our Lord Jesus Christ has no greater joy than to hear that his children are walking in the truth (John 1:4, ESV). One of the key bible verses that will give greater hope to Lt Col Brown will be 2 Timothy 2:15, Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15, ESV). Tome needs to stand for the Lord; he will have to do all things through his savior who strengthens him.

Implementation/Fallback.

His recommendation of additional time in other to produce better results should be an official written memorandum. In this, Lt Col Brown needs to outline various challenges, difficulties as well as solutions that could provide a better result if his request is granted. The project chief could reject the idea of requesting more time to correct deficiencies surrounding the weapon system. But Lt Col Brown must not lose hope; he must continue to explain his reasons even if it must go up higher.

Other

On the other hand, Tom could confront Bob himself. He needs to remind of his constant breach of security. Bob might come to his senses and report his violations to security chiefs. Tom needs to do everything within his ethical boundaries and not lose sight.

Appendix I

Scenario 1: The Technical Expert: Part A & Part B

Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) Tom Brown is a career air force officer who currently works in research and development. He is currently near promotion to 0-6 (colonel) and knows that the next evaluation will largely determine if he will make the rank of 0-6. Tom is a practicing Christian, an ordained deacon and sings in the church choir. Tom has a wife (Ruth) and three daughters, one daughter with special needs, his middle daughter about to enter college, and the youngest daughter a few years behind. Ruth is a Christian and devoted to her husband, but she is very security orientated. Financial security is so important to Ruth, that it is a phobia and something she has not completely given to the Lord. This was made manifest ten years earlier when Tom was punished for his integrity. Although Tom’s boss was asked to retire early and Tom was exonerated for his actions, his last promotion was delayed, and he thought he was going to leave the Air Force with little prospect of a good job outside the Air Force.

Part A.

Tom’s project team is involved in developing and testing a weapons system that is expected to be added to the inventory of the Air Force. Lieutenant Colonel Brown is responsible for testing the performance of the weapons system in a variety of operational environments. Much of the work Tom is doing is classified and his program is likely a target of foreign intelligence agencies. Tom’s best friend, Bob, also works on a different project but in the same office. In the last several weeks, Tom has noticed that Bob with a female that appears to be foreign national. Bob has had a number of unexplained absences in the last six months and complained about marriage difficulties—he is separated from his wife. Bob bought a new BMW and even though he is separated, he is living in high-end apartment complex. During this timeframe, Bob has asked a lot of questions about his program that were clearly beyond Bob’s need-to-know. Bob has also had one security violation in the last six months—failure to secure classified. Tom’s inclination is to look the other way, the last thing he needs to do is jeopardize his job.

Part B.

The development program is a controversial one. The Air Force sought approval and funding for the weapons system for several years before congressional resistance was overcome. Several key representatives are still adamantly opposed to the continuation of the program and the eventual purchase of the system. The Air Force, with Pentagon backing, has long insisted that such a weapons system is essential to ensure that it is able to counter certain lethal capabilities which both Russian and China have developed and fielded. The weapons system that Lieutenant Colonel Brown is testing is the choice of the Air Force.

Unfortunately, the weapons system has failed to meet certain minimum requirements established by the Pentagon. When Lieutenant Colonel Brown first reported the difficulties to his project chief, he was told to run the tests again. He was also told that if the weapons system, which had been developed at such cost, were to prove unsatisfactory, the possibility was great that the Congress would terminate the program in the upcoming budget cycle. In the view of the Air Force, such a result would critically undermine its future capabilities in relation to the Russian and China. The project chief went so far as to say that even the president has agreed that the timely procurement of the weapons system is essential to national defense.

While no specific directives have been issued, the project chief has implied that it is his responsibility in this unusual case to ensure that the weapons system meets the minimum requirements. Lieutenant Colonel Brown has identified certain deficiencies that can be corrected over time, but the process will require additional (and costly) development that cannot be accomplished quickly. The project chief has said informally that a flawed but perfectible system would be infinitely preferable to no system at all, but it seems clear that if the system does not meet the minimum requirements, the Congress will cut funding entirely in the upcoming budget process. The project chief has temporarily delayed publication of the test data, but he can resist pressure for only a limited time.

Lieutenant Colonel Brown also believes that procurement of the weapons system is vitally important. He thinks that it would be an extremely grave error to terminate the program and thus at least to postpone acquisition of the system for the foreseeable future. At the same time, he is instinctively repelled by the thought of doctoring his test results in order to conceal the existing shortcomings of the system.

References

Anderson, T. J. (2017). An introduction to a Christian worldview. IVP Academic.

ESV.org. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.esv.org/

Patterson, E. (2019). Just American wars: ethical dilemmas in US military history. NY: Routledge.

Rae, S. (2018). Moral choices: an introduction to ethics. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Tyra, G. (2015). Pursuing moral faithfulness: ethics and Christian discipleship. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.