2.4 Ethical Standards (AFH-1 Section 1D)

2.4 Ethical Standards (AFH-1 Section 1D)

Quick Answer: Ethics tells Airmen what they should or should not do; law tells what they can or cannot do. Dilemmas come from uncertainty, competing values, or potential harm. Run the Network, United States of America, and Divine tests before you act. Superior-subordinate gifts are capped at $10 nominal value on qualifying occasions. Valor, courage, and sacrifice—and the Airman's Creed—describe the honorable character the profession expects.

Section 1D is ADTC B for SSgt and TSgt. Expect gift, logbook, competing-loyalty, and creed-purpose scenarios.

Ethics is not the same as the law

As a USAF member you must practice the highest standards of conduct and integrity in the job, in relationships, in personal financial dealings, and in interactions with the civilian community. Moral values describe what we hold to be right and wrong. Ethics is the systematic reflection of those values that enables us to live and act according to our beliefs. Laws tell us what we can and cannot do. Ethics tells us what we should or should not do. A choice can be legal and still fail the profession; AFI 1-1 also warns against even the appearance of impropriety.

Title 5 principles and the $10 gift rule

Title 5, CFR, Part 2635, Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch, sets the ethical principles every government employee must follow. Public service is a public trust, requiring loyalty to the Constitution, the laws, and ethical principles above private gain.

On gifts, employees may not:

• solicit a donation or contribution from other personnel for a gift to a superior,
• make a donation for a gift to a superior official, or
• accept a gift from subordinate personnel,

except for voluntary gifts or contributions of nominal value (not to exceed $10) on occasions of special personal significance (such as marriage or birth of a child) or occasions that terminate the superior-subordinate relationship, such as retirement, permanent change of station, or assignment. A $20 going-away collection or a "thanks for the EPR" gift from a subordinate fails the rule.

Ethical dilemmas: three causes

An ethical dilemma is a situation where one is forced to choose between at least two alternatives. Three general causes or sources are uncertainty, competing values, and potential harm.

• Uncertainty is not having all the facts; not having enough experience; or not having a clearly established policy, procedure, or rule. Get facts, ask someone who has done it, or find the written standard.
• Competing values occur when personal values conflict with those of the institution, subordinates, peers, or supervisors. The mark of a true professional is maintaining high professional standards by locating the conflicting values, weighing options, and deciding on the best course of action.
• Potential harm relates to the intentional and unintentional short- and long-term consequences of our actions. Think through second- and third-order effects before you act.

Three tests before you execute

When confronted with a dilemma, AFH 1 gives three tests to check the morality of an action. The Network test asks how the decision would look if aired on the news or social media. The United States of America test asks whether it is good for the United States, the USAF, the unit, then you—and whether priorities are ordered that way. The Divine test asks whether you would feel good about the decision when you give account for your life, or whether it would bring guilt or loss of trust.

flowchart TD
    A[Recognize dilemma] --> B{Cause?}
    B -->|Uncertainty| C[Get facts or policy]
    B -->|Competing values| D[Locate conflicts and weigh options]
    B -->|Potential harm| E[2nd and 3rd order effects]
    C --> F[Network test]
    D --> F
    E --> F
    F --> G[USA test: nation, USAF, unit, self]
    G --> H[Divine test]
    H -->|All pass| I[Execute]
    H -->|Any fail| J[Choose another course]

Honorable characteristics: valor, courage, sacrifice

Airmen share a history of valor, courage, and sacrifice, including unseen acts under deployment pressure and home-station demand.

• Valor is facing danger or hardship in a determined and resolute manner—bravery, fortitude, gallantry, heart, and nerve—including intelligent risk in unexpected daily situations, not only on the battlefield.
• Courage is facing fear, danger, or adversity. Three types are critical: personal (doing what is right even when risking a career), physical (overcoming fear of bodily harm to get the job done, or risking harm for someone else), and moral (standing by the core values when that may not be popular).
• Sacrifice is a willingness to give your time, comfort, or life to meet others' needs—in combat, at home station, or in the local community.

The Airman's Creed

The Airman's Creed was presented in 2007 by General T. Michael Moseley, 18th Chief of Staff of the Air Force, to reinvigorate the Total Force, build warrior ethos, and establish a coherent bond among Airmen. Those three purposes travel together on PFE items.