Cadets' character and ethical quality are crucial; they determine the kind of officers who will join the Air Force after they graduate. The texts relating to the ethical traditions aim at building the cadets' character and lay out all the values and principles that a future officer should uphold. In this context, this chapter seeks to investigate the extent to which ethical parameters are present in the Air Force Cadet Wing Honor Code. The authors then want to relate the ethical education provided to the cadets by the academy with their mission after graduation. To accomplish their duties, pilots seem to be influenced by their beliefs, their studies, and of course, the honor code; issues of ethics and the law also influence to a high degree the psychology of pilots and determine to a high extent their reactions and effectiveness. The final goal is to investigate to what extent ethics and the law influence pilots' decisions and are interpreted by fighter aircrafts' pilots of the Hellenic Air Force and attack helicopter pilots of the Hellenic Army.
TopReview Of The Honor Code
One characteristic of all military schools and colleges is the use of an Honor Code. The Hellenic Air Force Academy is no exception. The HAFA Honor Code is made up of two discreet elements: a theoretical framework rooted in the notion of honorable living, coupled with the manner in which that the honor system is applied and manifests itself as a “lived reality” (Hellenic Air Force Academy, 2019: 1-11, 33-36, 93-128, 141-145).
The first part of HAFA’s Honor Code addresses the way of living and the ethos that should be characteristic of the cadets. It is made clear from the beginning that the desired characteristics included in the code constitute the minimum standard of acceptable behaviour. The honor code includes the basic characteristics of the group that reinforce the bonds between its members, makes them distinct from other group members and aids in the development of trust for the effective operation of the group. These characteristics are non-negotiable: whoever wishes to be part of the group must accept them, especially since his or her participation is voluntary and not compulsory.
This code, paired with the educational process in use at the Academy, aims at achieving certain targets, more specifically character development, the transfer of the status of a civilian to the status of an officer, the observance of principles and rules (related to the development of cadets’ character and responsibility (Bivins, 2006: 29) / accountability (Tetlock, 1985, Frink & Klimoski, 1998) / liability (Duff, R., 2007, Frey & Morris, 1991), the development of healthy habits and, of course, the ability to recognize and follow the right thing to do every time.
The major violations of the code are about the following acts:
If we look at the above violations on an individual basis, we see that they are about both facets of the Academy: the educational training, as well as the military one. It goes without saying that for a violation to exist there should be both an act and the intention to act in that way from the offender’s part. The fear of failure, the continuous effort to achieve the best, the rationalisation of offensive behaviour, the lack of time to perform the appropriate actions, the intense competition --- none of these can serve as excuses for violating the rules of the code. Also, sympathy for a colleague or the fear of counteraction are not sufficient excuses for demonstrating tolerance in the case that somebody else is not following the rules of the code.
Lying is not allowed in any form, either verbally or in writing. Even in the case that there is a misunderstanding in what has been said or written, it should be corrected on time to avoid any misconceptions. In the case that the cadet faces an embarrassing personal question, it is preferable to keep silent than tell a lie. The use of forged papers is also included in this category.
Stealing also refers to using items not belonging to the person using them or services that should not be used, but also to matters of intellectual property.