The United States Air Force became subject to whistleblower complain when two F-22 Raptor pilots decided to quit their jobs, citing fear for their safety and their health conditions in the long run. Capt. Josh Wilson and Maj. Jeremy Gordon blew the whistle on the problem of low oxygen, experienced by F-22 pilots. According to the two pilot whistleblowers, the condition of hypoxia made them have less control of themselves. At the same time, they flew the crafts, making them unable to make crucial decisions during flights (60 Minutes, 2012). Despite the perception that the two pilots would face disciplinary action from the Air Force, they survived punishment from the significant arm of the US military. Nevertheless, the Air Force suffered leaders suffered great embarrassment and public disapproval. The Military Whistleblower Protection Act is one reason that shielded the two pilots from getting punished on their testimonies to the media.
Barriers to Effective Whistleblowing
Whistleblowing is a source of information to the public and the organization. In many situations, whistleblowing is a source of many positives, warning the public or the leadership of organizations on any evil work. Fear of retaliation is one barrier that also affected the Air Force (Patrick, 2012). According to Wilson and Gordon, the problem of lack of oxygen deprivation was suffered by other pilots, yet they did not dare to speak out. They feared the possibility of being punished. The two whistleblowers had also expected some form of retaliation from the Air Force and were ready for anything.
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The duty of loyalty and confidentiality is yet another barrier that would feature at the Air Force (Francis, Armstrong, & Foxley, 2015). The United States Military expects a show of patriotism from service members and has laid procedures to address such issues without revealing them to the media. For the sake of patriotism, other F-22 pilots could not blow the whistle on the oxygen deprivation. The law, through the United States Espionage Act, regards the act of undermining the United States Military as a felony. Whistleblowing in such an institution is risky because whistleblowers risk getting into problems with the government.
Competition between organizations in a similar industry often acts as a catalyst to whistleblowing activities. There are instances where a former employee of an organization, working in a rival organization, blows the whistle on corruption or some immoral activity in the spirit of competition. When competition triggers whistleblowing, it rarely happens in good faith. The forces behind whistleblowing are often intended at beating the target company in business. In the case of the US Air Force, competition did not affect whistleblowing in any way. The US Air Force is a military institution with no business competitor to trigger whistleblowing.
Recommendations on Whistleblower Policy
A whistleblower policy is vital for business organizations and other institutions, including the military. Such systems guide whistleblowers on how to express issues that they deem necessary in reporting the wrongdoings they identify (Dhamija, 2014). Additionally, whistleblower policy is vital in doing away with any barriers that may hinder whistleblowing. The institution and other institutions should set up a workable complaint system where service members can lodge their complaints without fear of retaliation by the leaders. On the same note, the complaint system ought to set the ground for openness and swift communication. Apart from that, the whistleblower policy should develop a culture and avail the necessary resources for a thorough investigation of complaints lodged by servicemen. Thorough investigations are useful for encouraging whistleblowers to report more issues and to promote the emergence of more whistleblowers.
A policy against retaliation is yet another vital provision that the institution should include in its whistleblower policy. The top leaders should deal with complaints; however, how bad they may criticize their decisions. Additionally, the institution’s whistleblower policy should be keen on keeping records for future reference.
References
60 Minutes. (2012, May 4). Military whistleblowers express fears over safety and health . Retrieved from CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/military-whistleblowers-express-fears-over-safety-and-health/
Dhamija, S. (2014). Whistleblower Policy—Time to Make It Mandatory. Global Business Review , 15 (4), 833-846.
Francis, R. D., Armstrong, A. F., & Foxley, I. (2015). Whistleblowing: a three part view. Journal of Financial Crime .
Patrick, K. (2012). Barriers to whistleblowing in the NHS.
