Joint Ethics Regulation

Preamble

As members of the Department of Defense (DoD) who serve in or support the most powerful military in the world, we represent not only the determination of our country to secure its interests, but also the core values upon which this country and our military were founded. All DoD personnel must be committed to our high standards of ethical conduct and policies, and to ensuring effective training on and enforcement of these standards. As part of taking the oath to support and defend the Constitution, we must strive to uphold our Nation’s proud legacy by fulfilling our duty, serving with honor, displaying courage, and showing respect.

• Duty: We fulfill our duty by bearing true faith and allegiance to the Constitution and defending the Nation. Fulfilling our duty requires dedicating ourselves to professional excellence, steadfast discipline, selfless service, and an uncompromising commitment to meet our solemn obligation to deter our adversaries and defend our Nation.
• Honor: We serve with honor by demonstrating unwavering integrity in all we do. Serving with honor requires strength of character and uncompromising ethical conduct that is in keeping with the sacred trust placed in us by the American people.
• Courage: We display courage through our actions to faithfully support and defend the Constitution. Courageous service demands an inner strength and determination in the face of adversity.
• Respect: We show respect for and affirm the guiding principles of the Constitution by treating others with dignity, fairness, empathy, and compassion. Showing respect requires that we confront bias, discrimination, and prejudice in all its forms.

The essence of ethical conduct is a commitment to act as good stewards of the trust, confidence, and resources provided by the American people and their democratically-elected representatives in Congress. DoD leaders at every level are responsible for upholding the highest standards of ethical conduct through personal example and appropriate corrective action when personnel fail to meet these standards.

Every day and in all things, we need to live up to our core ethical values and the expectations of our fellow citizens. Steadfast ethical decision-making must be an integral part of our daily conversations, meetings, and engagements. We must ask ourselves; Is this the right thing to do and are we going about it in the right way?

The body of Federal ethics statutes and regulations, and the Joint Ethics Regulation (JER), set forth the ethics standards that apply to DoD personnel. These standards, reflective of our core ethical values, will guide all DoD personnel as they encounter and resolve challenging ethical dilemmas. Learn and read more here: