Ethics in the Army is extremely important to good order and discipline in units. A unit with good ethics is usually a very strong unit with good leadership that understands how ethics can affect a unit in a positive or negative way. In the Army, problems with ethics are more of an issue with senior leadership than junior Soldiers for several reasons: one, a senior leader violates an ethics standard, all or most of a unit see it or know about it and it becomes the new standard for the unit. The new standard can spread throughout the unit like a cancer. Two, a junior Soldier violates an ethics standard; peers or a supervisor can/will deal with them swiftly. Three, when senior leaders make an ethics violation it is resolved quietly, as not to embarrass the senior leader. Four, other Soldiers are not affected in the same way when an ethics violation takes place by a junior Soldier verses a senior leader as Soldiers generally do not try to emulate someone they out rank. Five, many senior leaders do not fear being challenged that they violated an ethics standard.

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