Trust is a critical bond among sailors in the Navy. It enables them to rely on the knowledge and skills of their shipmates and to have faith in the decisions of their officers to survive at sea. That trust is a reflection of one’s honor for ideals bigger than themselves.

As a proud 1994 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy with a degree in systems engineering that launched my subsequent 26-year career as a nuclear submariner and foreign area officer, I’m stung by recent recriminations and evasion by old classmates concerning their role in the 1992 “double E” cheating scandal.

That scandal, named after the electrical engineering exam, administered to all non-engineering majors at the Naval Academy tarred my entire class. The scandal involved a small group of students—midshipmen—stealing a copy of a test and then sharing it widely to give an edge on a notoriously tough class.

Word got out quickly, and a wider group became aware that the test was compromised. But too many at the time failed to act and stop what would become a years-long crisis of confidence in the Naval Academy. Now 33 years later, recent events have brought this saga to public awareness again.

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In recent days, the role of Michelle “Mikie” Sherrill in this scandal has resurfaced amidst a contentious race to be the next New Jersey governor. Sherrill was one of those caught up in this scandal at the time. There were several groups investigated: those who stole the exam, those who knowingly cheated, and those who knew and benefited from it.

Sherrill was faced with a dilemma: uphold the honor code and divulge what she witnessed regarding cheating or cover for herself and her classmates. This isn’t an easy choice for a young person to make, but midshipmen as our future naval officers are held to a higher standard than the average citizen.

This is a situation we all studied as midshipmen in the “Ethics for the Junior Officer” course. We were taught then by the likes of Dr. Karel Montor, and presented with examples like that of Admiral James B. Stockdale, that our top loyalty was to our nation.

Sherill rejected these lessons and chose to obscure what she knew of the cheating. Her behavior ran the risk of expulsion—the normal punishment for this type of honor code violation—but instead she was told she wouldn’t be able to walk at her own graduation.

Some have defended Sherill’s decision making, including Fox News commentator and Democratic strategist Jessica Tarlov, who insisted Sherrill “did the right thing” because “snitches get stitches.”

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But the honor code we all lived by as midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy, and are imbued to live our lives by, is simply to not lie, cheat or steal.

This is what American citizens expect from its naval officers, and it’s one reason why the military is held in high regard and trust. Sherrill’s behavior contributed to the damage done to the reputation of the Naval Academy and its graduates for years.

The importance of military integrity is especially relevant given that decisions made in the past decade have given us a Navy too weak to deter China, and criminal behavior by our senior military leaders. Clearly too many of our leaders have strayed from this ideal, instead pursuing personal advancement when tough decisions and action were required.

People do change and learn, but this requires embracing the lessons of past actions and accepting the consequences. Unfortunately, while Sherrill acknowledged she didn’t turn her classmates in, she has spent more time attacking the release of her private records—admittedly, something that shouldn’t have happened, but a deflection from the real issue here.

Second chances are often warranted, and as the Secretary of War stated yesterday, the military needs to move away from a culture of “zero-defect.” Honor, however—like trust—is hard to earn back. The question of the day, then, is has Sherrill earned back the public’s trust?