IntroductionThe Office of Government Ethics has established Standards of Conduct that apply to all US government employees. Within the Department of Defense, these Standards of Conduct are implemented by the Joint Ethics Regulation, DOD 5500.7-R. Enlisted members of the uniformed services are subject to regulations issued by each service. You should be familiar with your responsibilities under these regulations and Federal conflict of interest laws. All of the rules are derived from the following fourteen principles of ethical conduct in Executive Order 12731.
Here's the bottom line? Ask yourself if a reasonable person who knew the relevant facts may think that the law or ethical standards had been violated. You should do okay if you avoid even the appearance that you are violating the law or any ethical principles. Remember, violations may subject you to administrative, civil, or even criminal penalties. If the more detailed ethical rules described elsewhere in this module don't cover a specific situation you are concerned about, or if you have a question as to how any of the restrictions apply to your particular situation, please contact your organization's ethics counselor. It is much easier to get advice before you act, than it is to try to undo the damage after a rule has been broken. Advice from ethics counselors is advisory only. Ethics counselors are acting on behalf of the Government, not as your personal representative. Your consultation with a counselor does not create an attorney-client relationship. Additional information on ethics issues is available on the United States Office of Government Ethics web site at www.usoge.gov and the DoD Standards of Conduct website at www.defenselink.mil/dodgc/defense_ethics. Except for this introduction and the topic on Frequent Flyer Benefits, all topics in this module are quoted verbatim from Ethics Program Topics on the Office of Government Ethics web site. Reference:
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