Do You Believe the Company Reports?

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Most former battalion commanders admitted that in their roles as data receivers, many of the slides briefed to them for information requests were probably too optimistic or inaccurate. For example, one colonel described how his brigade commander needed to turn in his situation report on Friday, forcing the battalion to do theirs on Thursday. The end result was that while the companies gave it their best shot, everyone, including the battalion commander, is that the company reports were not accurate.

Leonard Wong of the Strategic Studies Institute at the U.S. Army War College talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about honesty in the military. Based on a recent co-authored paper, Wong argues that the paperwork and training burden on U.S. military officers requires dishonesty--it is simply impossible to comply with all the requirements. This creates a tension for an institution that prides itself on honesty, trust, and integrity. The conversation closes with suggestions for how the military might reform the compliance and requirement process.