I Didn't Do It for Me, I Did It for the Troops

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The persona of an army officer is a selfless servant, and usually army officers view themselves as focused on two things- the mission and the troops. And so if you put down a deluge of requirements, then you're harassing the troops and we can't get the mission done. So it's my job as a leader to form a shield around the soldiers and say, you know what? We're not going to spend time on what I call dumb requirements."

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.