Survey reveals cadets increasingly admit to breaking AFA honor code

[unhappycamper]

http://gazette.com/survey-reveals-cadets-increasingly-admit-to-breaking-afa-honor-code/article/1512923

Survey reveals cadets increasingly admit to breaking AFA honor code
By Dave Philipps Updated: January 18, 2014 at 6:51 pm • Published: January 18, 2014 | 6:35 pm

When Fred Malmstrom saw The Gazette report in December revealing a secret system of cadet informants at the Air Force Academy, he thought to himself, "given the data, that makes a lot of sense."

Malmstrom, a psychologist, is a 1964 graduate of the academy and was a visiting scholar there for 13 years. As part of his professional work, he has surveyed almost 50 years of graduates, asking them, among other things, how often they had broken the academy honor code vow not to "lie, steal, or cheat, nor tolerate among us anyone who does." The results of his surveys show a steady increase in proportion of cadets admitting to violating the code, from 28 percent in 1962 to 65 percent in 2010.

"Given that the Air Force leadership can increasingly not rely on cadets to police themselves," Malmstrom, who lives in Colorado Springs, said during a recent interview, "I suppose it is not surprising they would look for other means, like informants."

The cadet honor code is at the heart of the controversy over covert cadet informants at the academy. Some have argued the informants are needed because they bust lawbreakers who would otherwise become officers. Others say the program is a corrosive contradiction to the honor code because informants, almost by definition, must lie about who they are and spread a sense of mistrust through the ranks.

[bemildred]

1. Informants. Oh that will really help morale. nt