[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 101 (Friday, July 24, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8984-S8985]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    MIXED SIGNALS FROM THE PENTAGON

  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, one week ago today, a small ceremony took 
place in the Pentagon at which the three senior leaders of the United 
States Army unveiled a series of posters depicting each of the seven 
core values of the Army. They are noteworthy values--Loyalty, Duty, 
Respect, Selfless-Service, Honor, Integrity, Personal Courage. They 
send a strong message to the world about the values that shape 
America's fighting forces.
  Three days later, Defense Department officials sent a very different 
message from the Pentagon regarding core values when they took the 
wraps off a proposal that would relax the military code of honor 
concerning adultery. According to the news accounts I have read, 
Secretary Cohen is expected to propose within the next few weeks a new 
approach to dealing with cases of adultery in the military that would 
limit prosecutions--limit prosecutions--and ease automatic penalties.
  Mr. President, I respectfully ask, what on earth has gotten into the 
leadership of the Defense Department?
  Each of our services is founded on a set of bedrock principles. I 
have just recited the Army's. For the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, the 
core values are honor, courage, and commitment. The core values of the 
Air Force are integrity, service, and excellence.
  These values form the moral guideposts for the men and women of 
America's armed forces.
  Whether we are talking about the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marines, 
we are talking about a group of exceptional individuals in whom we as a 
nation place extraordinary trust and from whom we exact exceptional 
standards of courage, leadership, and moral conduct.
  These standards, demanding though they are, have served our nation 
well for more than two hundred years. They are the virtues that 
undergirded the American Revolution and helped General George 
Washington's Army endure the bitter winter at Valley Forge. They are 
the principles that elevated the American Civil War from a duel between 
states to a crusade that cemented the unity of a nation. They are the 
values that guided our troops to victory over the most evil power of 
the twentieth century--the forces of Adolph Hitler--during World War 
II.
  Honor, Duty, Respect, Integrity, Courage and Commitment make up a 
noble list. This roster of virtues is one that our men and women in 
uniform have, from this nation's founding, embraced with pride.
  I admire the dedication of our military forces. I admire their 
willingness to hold themselves to a higher standard. I believe that the 
core values they embody are as important as all the skills and training 
and equipment this nation can marshal in making America's armed forces 
mighty and powerful, the best in the world. That has always been the 
way with American military forces. We saw in World War II the most 
powerful, the mightiest armed force in the world, the best armies that 
ever walked the earth.
  And so I ask again, what on earth has gotten into the leadership of 
the Department of Defense?
  Mr. President, I am pleased to note that the Marine Corps has 
responded to the call to lower the bar on adultery with the equivalent 
of Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe's response to the Germans' 
demand to surrender during the Battle of the Bulge. In a word, 
``Nuts!''
  And so I salute the Marine Corps for taking that stand.
  Let me just say that again. I think it needs to be said, and I hope 
that the Secretary of Defense will hear me.
  I am pleased to note that the Marine Corps has responded to the call 
to lower the bar on adultery with the equivalent of Brigadier General 
Anthony McAuliffe's response to the Germans' demand to surrender during 
the Battle of the Bulge. In a word, ``Nuts.''
  God bless the Marines. God bless the Marine Corps. And God bless that 
word ``Nuts,'' because that is the response of the Marine Corps.
  For a service whose motto, Semper Fidelis, means ``Always Faithful,'' 
the Marine Corps' unwillingness to compromise its core values is 
commendable. I salute the Marine Corps. I hope that the leadership of 
the Army, Navy, and Air Force will follow suit. At a time when the 
reputation and the morale of the military have taken a serious 
battering as a result of the conduct of some of its leaders, I am 
frankly amazed that the Secretary of Defense would even entertain such 
an ill-conceived proposal.
  The recent and highly publicized instances of adultery, sexual 
harassment, and rape within America's military have wounded the 
prestige of our armed services and have ruined individual lives, 
families, and careers. The uneven handling of several high profile 
cases--ranging from swift and harsh punishment meted out to enlisted 
personnel and junior officers to an apparent blind eye turned to the 
misconduct of certain high-ranking officers--has only exacerbated the 
problem and led to the perception of a double standard in the military.
  I sympathize with the many problems facing our military leadership in 
today's volatile international environment. Resources are scarce, 
forces are stretched thin, and tensions are mounting in potential 
trouble spots around the world. But leadership requires the ability to 
set a good example and stand by one's principles, regardless of how 
difficult that may be. The solution to the moral and ethical turmoil 
threatening to engulf today's U.S. military forces is not to lower the 
standards to the level of the least common denominator. The solution is 
to restore and to apply the discipline and unique military code of 
conduct equally and across the board.
  In this country, we have always looked up to the military for 
leadership and role models. What kind of a message does this proposal 
send to our young people, who are struggling to define their values in 
a society that increasingly seems to hold core values in contempt? How 
are parents supposed to explain this sea change in the military's moral 
code to their children? What is the Defense Department thinking? Why on 
earth is the Pentagon sending such mixed messages to the men and women 
in uniform? Even that nonsensical term ``political correctness'' does 
not require this.
  If the Secretary of Defense is willing to entertain a proposal that 
would essentially treat adultery--conduct that inherently involves 
dishonor, lying, and cheating--with a wink and a nod, what comes next? 
Will it be okay to cheat on an exam at the military academies if the 
instructor is too tough? Will ``little white lies'' be acceptable to 
get out of unpleasant duties? Will the occasional dereliction of duty 
be overlooked as long as no one gets hurt? Will the Marines be asked to 
change their motto from ``Always Faithful'' to ``Usually Faithful'' or 
``Sometimes Faithful''? If so asked, I have a feeling the Marines will 
say ``nuts.''
  The core values of America's military services are not there for 
window dressing. Taken together, they form the basis of a sacred trust. 
It is a trust that must extend to placing one's life in the hands of 
one's comrades. It is a trust that goes up the chain of command and 
down the chain of command and across the chain of command. It is trust 
that is absolute--there can be no shades of gray on the battlefield. 
There can be no shades of gray at the helm of the ship in the storm. 
There can be no shades of gray in the cockpit.
  I hope that the Secretary of Defense will rethink this misguided 
proposal to weaken the rules governing adultery and fraternization in 
the military. The effect can only be to erode the time-honored military 
principles that have served our Nation throughout its history, in 
peacetime and in war. Our nation's military leadership, including the 
Secretary of Defense, who once served here as a very able Senator and 
respected colleague, must draw a line in the sand when it comes to the 
moral conduct of the armed services. The services must not be seduced 
into exchanging their code of conduct for a code of convenience.
  Again, I salute the Marines for their unwillingness to compromise 
their

[[Page S8985]]

standards, and I call on Secretary Cohen to reject this and any other 
proposal that would compromise the integrity of this nation's military 
forces.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor, and I again thank my friend from 
Minnesota, Senator Grams, for his kindness and courtesy.
  Mr. GRAMS. I thank the Senator.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I be allowed to speak for 
up to 45 minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there an objection? The Chair hears none, 
and it is so ordered.
  Mr. GRAMS. Mr. President, I want to make three separate statements, 
one dealing with Social Security, looking at the background and the 
history of the program as we move toward possible debate on change and 
reforms. Also, a statement supporting Senator Shelby on his amendment 
dealing with CRA and small banks. And also a brief statement on the 
Government Shutdown Prevention Act, which is aimed at trying to pass 
legislation that will prevent the Government from shutting down in the 
future even if Congress cannot reach an agreement on budget or 
appropriation matters.

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