A great awakening of honor at the U.S. Naval Academy is desperately needed as the institution emerges from the fog of the coronavirus pandemic. The temptations to compromise the honor concept associated with virtual learning methods will remain through the transition back to in-person learning unless the spirit of honor in the Brigade is revitalized not just through the regular review of the concept and system once per semester, but through a renewed sense of personal duty to maintain honor for one’s future enlisted, one’s peers, and oneself. Here is what we can learn today of the undying importance of honor from Chairman Richard Armitage’s 1993 congressional Report of the Honor Review Committee to the Secretary of the Navy on Honor at the United States Naval Academy, better known as “The Armitage Report.” 

To frame the importance of maintaining the highest standards of honor and integrity at the Naval Academy and beyond, a 30-old warning must be reissued to emphasize the stakes of moral deterioration. In his opening statement to the Senate Committee on Armed Services, Armitage stated, “So we came to the view that the U.S. Naval Academy was, indeed, at a crossroads; and unless, once again, they can prove to be the crucible of leadership then the very existence of these Academies will be called into question.” His warning came after the extensive investigation of the Electrical Engineering 311 (EE311) cheating scandal in 1993 which questioned the moral composition of the federal service academies’ student bodies and the soundness of the Naval Academy’s honor concept and instruction. Almost 30 years later, the Naval Academy once again is at a crossroads. After Provost Andrew Phillips released a statement establishing the review of potential inconsistencies into the administration of the Physics I (SP211) final exam in December 2020, echoes of a potential spike in honor offenses and EE311 reverberated. As the institution returns to post-pandemic “normalcy” this fall, the Academy once again has a crucial opportunity to rebuild the moral strength and demonstrate the lessons learned of the Brigade. 

One element of midshipman life that has not changed since the Armitage report, or even the foundation of the Academy, is cynicism. The summary findings of the report concur with this statement, stating that “nonetheless, in its extensive hearings, the Committee found within each element of the Academy community, there are some who have the blasé attitude that honor is on the backburner. While it is assumed that honor is internalized by every midshipman in the plebe summer experience, it is clear that this assumption is undermined by the increasingly cynical attitude that develops towards honor, in stark contrast to plebe summer, during a midshipman’s next four years.” The struggle and monotony of midshipman life can easily blurs an individual’s personal “why,” which is inextricably linked with honor and dedication to service. When the “why” is lost, so is the desire to subscribe to the meaning of specific policies and traditions, therefore opening the floodgates of cynicism. There is no immediate cure for cynicism; the only way to combat cynicism is to gradually inspire a fundamental attitude shift. Honor is not an unattainable golden standard to be preached down on midshipmen; it is a system of self and peer attitude accountability inspired by the personal desire to lead a life of integrity. All it takes to inspire systematic change is for one person to set the best example of honor they can, and inspire others to do the same. The drive to be that example, even at the cost of popularity and reputation, is missing among the Brigade. If midshipmen are afraid to be the example to others and correct their peers, then they must be reminded of their future responsibility to their enlisted sailors, and of their “why.” Even 30 years later, Armitage’s words ring true as he urges that “when midshipmen adopt and internalize the honor ethos, it must not be solely for fear of punishment, but because they aspire without reservation to the right course of action.” 

When any institution emerges from a period of adversity, there is always room to reflect on their fundamental purpose and whether or not they are fully serving that purpose. As the Naval Academy opens itself to the growth and change that accompanies the wake of the pandemic and SP211, honor development must be an essential focus of the Brigade. Armitage’s message must be wholeheartedly embraced, and the desire to be unapologetically honorable must be kindled in the Brigade. After all, what sets the Brigade apart from any other high performing, physically and academically gifted student body if not the composition of their character and aptitude for selfless service?