Scenario: Joint Venture

Group Size: 4-15

Scenario

While conducting a winter warfare exercise on an American base, Master Corporal (MCpl) Joey Kearns, MCpl Patrick Pelletier, and Corporal (Cpl) John McTyme at the Junior Ranks Mess having a beer, listening to music, and generally enjoying downtime between training exercises. 
“Man, what a rough three weeks! I still haven’t thawed out!” complains MCpl Pelletier.

“Yeah, the Sergeant-Major showed no mercy!” adds MCpl Kearns. They look at each other and chuckle, knowing that complaining about the exercise is all part of the tradition, and that this one really wasn’t too bad.

“Hey, I’m going out for a smoke,” says MCpl Pelletier. “Anybody coming?” Cpl McTyme doesn’t smoke but says he’ll tag along. “I’ll join you guys after a quick pit stop,” says MCpl Kearns.

After his stop at the restroom, MCpl Kearns heads for the designated smoking area behind the mess building.

“You should’ve waited for me,” says MCpl Kearns, approaching the other two men. “One of the guys was handing out joints, for what he called some well-deserved rest and relaxation after that exercise.”

“Joey! What the hell are you doing?!” says MCpl Pelletier. “You could get into some serious trouble smoking that. You don’t know where it came from.  And we’re in the States – not home in Canada!!”

“Hey, I’ve never tried it before,” MCpl Kearns admits as he crushes the unsmoked joint with his foot. “I thought it might help us unwind after the exercise. Guess I really didn’t think it through.”

On their way back to the shacks, an awkward silence descends on the three men as they wonder if there is something more to be done or said about what just happened. They all know the unwritten rule that you don’t rat on a buddy.

Categories

• Principles: Serve Canada before Self, Obey and Support Lawful Authority
• Values: Integrity, Loyalty, Courage
• Cultural themes: Service, Identity
• Misconduct types: General Misconduct
• GBA Plus themes: Not Specific
• Audience: Canadian Armed Forces

Facilitator’s Guide

Learning Objectives

• Discuss the ethical obligations of “Serve Canada before Self” and “Obey and Support Lawful Authority” in this setting.
• Discuss the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) regulations on cannabis use in the CAF while in Canada versus out of country. 

Facilitation Questions

1. What is the problem in this scenario?  
   • Open group discussion.
2. What considerations are at play with respect to Defence Ethics and the CAF ethos? 
   • Open group discussion.
   • Discuss the ethical obligations of “Serve Canada before Self” and “Obey and Support Lawful Authority” in this setting. 
   • Discuss the ethical values of integrity, loyalty, and courage, as well as duty, the CAF ethos professional expectation, in this scenario. 
3. In accordance with CAF regulations, when is the use of cannabis acceptable?  
   • Discuss DAOD 9004-1 – Use of Cannabis by CAF members.  
4. What action(s) should the three members take in this scenario? 
   • Open group discussion.  
   • Option 1: The group could talk over what has just happened and what to do next. With their strong small-group consensus, odds are good that they will bolster each other’s moral courage and step forward to expose the incident to somebody they trust in the chain of command.  
   • Option 2: Ignore the situation and live with the consequences, if caught.  
   • This ethics scenario shows us how a course of action is often clearer for everybody when there is significant social consensus. This means that the more an act or behaviour is generally viewed as unethical, the less likely personnel will be inclined to engage in it. Similarly, the more that people perceive that harm will result from an act, including the magnitude of consequences, the more likely people will view the act as unethical.