WASHINGTON, Jan 20: Brig-Gen Jeffrey Sinclair, fired from his command in Afghanistan last May and now facing a court-martial on charges of sodomy, adultery and pornography and more, is just one in a long line of commanders whose careers were ended because of possible sexual misconduct.

Sex has proved to be the downfall of presidents, members of US Congress and other notables. It’s also among the chief reasons that senior military officers are fired.

At least 30 per cent of military commanders fired over the past eight years lost their jobs because of sexually related offences, including harassment, adultery, and improper relationships, according to statistics compiled by The Associated Press.

The figures bear out growing concerns by Defence Department and military leaders over declining ethical values among US forces, and they highlight the pervasiveness of a problem that came into sharp relief because of the resignation of one of the Army’s most esteemed generals, David Petraeus, and the investigation of a second general, John Allen, the top US commander in Afghanistan.

The statistics from all four military services show that adulterous affairs are more than a four-star foible. From sexual assault and harassment to pornography, drugs and drinking, ethical lapses are an escalating problem for the military’s leaders.

With all those offences taken together, more than 4 in every 10 commanders at the rank of lieutenant colonel or above who were fired fell as a result of behavioural stumbles since 2005.The recent series of highly publicised cases led to a review of ethics training across the military. It also prompted Army Gen Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to conclude that while training is adequate, it may need to start earlier in service members’ careers and be reinforced more frequently.

Still, officials struggle to explain why the problem has grown and they acknowledge that solving it is difficult and will take time.

“I think we’re on the path. I think the last two defence secretaries have made this a very high priority and have very much held people accountable. But we’ve got a ways to go,” said Michele Flournoy, a former undersecretary of defence under President Barack Obama.

She said the military must enforce a “zero tolerance” policy and work to change the culture so service members are held accountable and made to understand that their careers will be over if they commit or tolerate such offences.

“The policy is in place,” she said. “I don’t know that it’s as evenly and fully enforced as intended.”—AP