Willingness to self-regulate is an identifying characteristic of a profession. Larger entities such as the United States Army and medical community possess the ability to self-regulate through a combination of rules, regulatory guidance, and institutional associations, which serve as a handrail for the conduct of day-to-day business. Internal systems that create the conditions for self-examination are at times difficult, but they are necessary if an organization is to maintain any degree of credibility. According to Stephen Gerard and Leonard Wong (2015), Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel recently stated that he was "deeply troubled by the latest spate of ethical scandals across the military" (p. 1). A willingness to submit to internal control measures is of vital importance when attempting to posture an organization in a way that minimizes the possibility of creating an ethical dilemma. Military leaders must guard against the perception of impropriety and not create the conditions for a potential ethical conflict as alluded to by the Honorable Chuck Hagel.

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