Scenario: The Bum Knee

Group Size: 4-15

Scenario

Two soldiers are doing the paperwork after an attack on their section light armoured vehicle (LAV). “Hey Nadjaway” says Corporal (Cpl) Dhillon, “what did you put on your CF-98?”

“Well,” replies Private (Pte) Nadjaway, “I wrote something about my injured foot, my bruised shoulder, and the right side of my face. Why?”

“It’s really important,” explains Cp Dhillon, “that you give lots of details about your loss of hearing and sight on that side….so there won’t be any problems later on if you have to make a pension claim.”

“Uh, yeah, I never thought about that,” says Pte Nadjaway, “I’ll make sure to add more about that.”

Cpl Dhillon gets up slowly from his chair, grabs his crutches. “For me,” he says, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Pte Nadjaway remains silent as he watches Cpl Dhillon hobble out of the room.

As Pte Nadjaway finishes filling out the injury form, he overhears, through a part-open door, Cpl Dhillon talking to another Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) member, who is a close friend. He tells the friend that this is his chance to get some money for the bum knee he’s being dragging around since he injured it last year, off-roading on his personal all-terrain vehicle (ATV). Cpl Dhillon goes on to explain that all he needs is for his friend to fill out a witness statement saying he saw him immediately after the attack and that he had an obvious knee injury. Pte Nadjaway then hears Cpl Dhillon’s friend say, “Hey, no problem. That’s what buds are for.”

Pte Nadjaway is more than a little stunned as he sits by himself and wonders what to do.

Categories

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

Facilitator’s Guide

Learning Objectives

• Discuss the ethical principle of “Obey and Support Lawful Authority” in this operational setting.
• Discuss the ethical values of integrity, loyalty, and courage in this scenario.

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 military ethos?
   • Open group discussion.
   • Discuss the ethical obligations of “Obey and Support Lawful Authority” in this operational setting.
   • Discuss the ethical values of integrity, loyalty, and courage in this scenario.
   • Discuss respecting the privacy of others in the workplace.
   • Discuss honesty and the implications of making a fraudulent statement.
   • Make a distinction between what happens in the private and public spheres of members’ lives, which is sensitive when it involves injuries. Injuries caused by work or duty have different implications than those that happen on our personal time.
3. What course(s) of action could Pte Nadjaway take in this scenario?
   • Open group discussion.
   • Option 1: Nothing at all. Pte Nadjaway would simply act like nothing had happened and ignore the incident. After all, it was just a chance occurrence that he heard the information at all. Still, we all know, even when difficult circumstances make it tough to admit, that if we fail to act when we should act, there is always an effect. If Pte Nadjaway takes no action and remains silent, he is indirectly sanctioning the behaviour of Cpl  Dhillonand his accomplice and contributing to a climate that tolerates unethical and illegal actions.
   • Option 2: Confront Cpl Dhillon. He could confront Cpl Dhillon, but if the corporal persists in his wrongdoing it becomes even more difficult for Pte Nadjaway to do the right thing.
   • Option 3: Talk to chain of command (or someone who he trusts). Going directly to the chain of command may be easier than confronting Cpl Dhillon but it would take courage and strong convictions. If Pte Nadjaway believes he should do something but is not sure what, he should at least talk to somebody he trusts, somebody who could offer advice and help strengthen his resolve to do the right thing.