Unethical Practices and Promotion Discrepancies The purpose of this article is to discuss an ethical dilemma facing the military. faced today. Unethical dilemmas exist everywhere; all around us, at all times. Personal experience and Army history have brought to light an ethical dilemma: how unethical practices and discrepancies within the promotion system will lead to a decline in the development of qualified and effective leaders. I see the cause of this falling into two categories: either the compromises of the soldiers or the compromises of the leaders. As with any unethical practice, there will always be an impact on our force, and I believe it will be the production of unqualified leaders and the possibility of not being able to retain qualified individuals who have been left behind by these practices. History Most people will agree that you don't have to look very far to find examples of unethical behavior. By today's standards, it's easy to find unethical practices in business, such as time theft, Quid Pro Quo, or overlooking a person for a promotion they deserved. The Army is no different: unethical practices in the promotion system have existed since its inception. Return to the Continental Army; Who were the designated leaders? These were plantation owners or prominent people. My file was reviewed by the squadron, then by the brigade for final approval. My file was rejected at the brigade level by the brigade command sergeants major (CSM). The reasons given by the CSM were zero scores in two categories of my leader's evaluation. The categories were: Works in a higher grade position and performs duties in a higher grade position. (Attachment 1) My 1SG's grades were correct and justified, as he and my section leader were present at all training assemblies that year, thus not giving me the opportunity to work at a higher grade.