Importance of Accountabilty in the Military Essay Example for Free

Importance of Accountabilty in the Military Essay Accountability is defined by answering or accounting for one’s actions and results. It is something every leader should aspire to obtain and uphold. Accountability is easily talked about but can be very hard and uncomfortable to apply to one’s self. You will rarely hear someone stating that they should be more accountable for their actions, yet we do hear that from our peers and leaders on how we should take more accountability for our day to day actions and how they could eventually affect our futures. In the Army it is extremely important to be accountable for one’s self and their soldiers. From the purposes of a squad leader it is always important to know where and what your soldiers are doing. Prime case is if you notice that your soldier is not at accountability formation and they never have missed that formation before it would probably behoove you to try and get in contact with the soldier. Granted their tardiness most likely may be due to something as trivial as oversleeping, forgetting to turn on or wake up to their alarm or being stuck in traffic on slight chances it could be something terribly worse such as hospitalization or death. In my own experience I have seen a stellar soldier who one day did not show up to morning formation and his squad leader failed to recognize his absence and towards the end of the day is when everyone found out that the same soldier had committed suicide the night prior. I am not saying that the squad leader is at fault in any way for the soldier’s choice to take his own life, however his entire chain of command failed to recognize his absence which could have resulted in an earlier reorganization of the tragedy. But I digress from my tangent and shall go on further to discuss the importance of personal accountability ranging from the lowest ranking private to the highest ranking officer. The bottom line is that accountability means letting your actions rise above your excuses. In the midst of everything accountability is really about being specific. Specific expectations and specific outcomes and specific consequences. All soldiers have learned since the beginning of their time in the military that there are certain expectations of them and the core facts are to be in the right place at the right time in the right uniform. If one soldier is constantly late or doing the wrong thing than as a leader it may be easier to turn a blind eye to the actions and dismiss them for forgetfulness but regardless of that one mustn’t sweep poor performance under the rug because it could cause friction in a unit or team. When one person’s performance is not up to par it brings the group down and gives the impression that this behavior is acceptable when in reality it is not, especially in the military world. As a leader you must always make your standards very clear and follow through with rewards and punishments, and that can only be done by being specific. Never beat around the bush about what your expectations are or what information needs to be put out. Failure to inform and plan is planning to fail. We tend to think of our actions and shortcomings as consequences to the now and that they may not have any effect on us in the future. Which in all means could be true but it might just be the seed to bad habits forming. Doing something mistakenly wrong once and never receiving reprisal may give the weak willed the false idea that they may repeat said actions and receive the same results, which could in turn show peers that this same behavior is tolerable and then it becomes a habit in the organization and reflects on leadership. When soldiers realize that their actions no matter how small either help or hinder their unit or organization and not just themselves their personal accountability becomes evident like a slap in the face. Once that becomes clear a soldier will recognize that their performance directly impacts their developmental opportunities which could include promotions, awards or schools. In all ones performance is a direct reflection of their commitment to their self and job. In the army one of the most important time of the day is morning accountability formation. It is where you get your orders and outlines of the day. For leaders it is pivotal for sending up personnel whereabouts. If a soldier is not present and it is not due to being on leave or on detail then there could possibly be a big problem. Accountability and duty go hand in hand. The Definition of that Army value is to fulfill your obligations and to accept responsibility for your own actions and those entrusted to your care. To find ways to improve yourself for the good of the group. It also is very similar to integrity by basically understanding that from bottom to top and left to right and anyway in between everyone is going to and willing to do what is right even when no one else is looking. Even when taking personal accountability into mind you must always keep an eye out for your buddy and hold them accountable also. Doing the job correctly and ensuring others do it as well and do it safely, because we all know that even when not in combat we could potential be in a very dangerous situations given with our various equipment, weapons and training environments. Certain examples include live fire ranges- needing to be accountable of where you are and that you have the right equipment on. If you do not have your plates in your vest and heaven forbid a misfire happens and you are struck there is no one to blame but yourself and lack of personal accountability. Another example is out in a field exercise- making sure you bring all the necessary equipment and that you have ensured that it has all of its components and is in working order. If you fail to do so you could put your health at risk in regards to sleep tents, extra clean clothing and weather appropriate clothing articles. In leadership accountability plays a special role in setting standards of behavior and actions that will ensure that they, their peers and subordinates operate with integrity and great moral values. With this in mind as a leader you should always lead from the front and never put yourself in situations that you yourself would punish a subordinate for. Leading by example provides junior soldiers a person to aspire to be and what a great leader looks like. In my years in the military it has been like finding a needle in a haystack when it comes to finding great non-commissioned officers. Too many are taking the easy road and falling well under the expectations that they themselves have imposed on their soldiers. I feel in the Army today many are too willing to become non-commissioned officers for the money and are not really thinking about the fact that they are leaders and they have to be the example. However, I have been honored to have to the experience of learning from a few great non-commissioned officers who have always tried to do the right thing at all times and are not afraid to admit when they are wrong or when they just don’t know, but they will find out. Keeping the mindset that you are now and forever, as long as you wear the uniform and those stripes, under a microscope be mindful of the actions you possess and the words that you say. Your actions justify to newly soldiers of what may or may not be right. Your words can both uplift and encourage or they can tear down a soldier’s views or spirit. Accountability formation is important for many reasons. It lets the commander and command team know where all of their soldiers are at that precise moment. It is also essential because it lets leadership know how many people are available for the day to perform daily duties or how many people they have readily available for additional tasking’s. At this formation most information on daily activities are put out. In this formation it is vital for leaders to look at their soldiers and assure that they are in accordance with all grooming standards held in AR 670-1. During this time there could also be a time for the urine lottery of a urinary analysis, if you are not at the formation to hear your name there could possibly be some consequences. Other types of accountability are with your gear for example weapons and ammunition. It is important that if you are entrusted with a weapon and ammunition to keep track of it and never leave it lying around. If there is a time that you are not able to keep up with these items you should either secure them in a locked safe place or entrust one of your fellow soldiers to keep track of it for you, this is a short time period solution. Losing or misplacing these things can get yourself in really hot water. Not only will you definitely be receiving punitive punishments for your ignorance you can also be allowing the military to take money from you. If it is lost you are going to pay in sweat, tears and cash. Looking beyond the fact of punishments that would immediately follow your actions what if that gear landed in the wrong hands. It could very well cause a very bad situation. Accountability doesnt just mean showing up on time. It means responsibility. It means that if you fail your small part of the mission (to be on time), you must be held liable for your failure. Lets say you were supposed to depart for a mission outside the wire on a deployment. You are late to the convoy brief, the convoy brief must be given to you again, everyone is late to mount up, and the convoy misses its SP time (departure). The Infantry unit waiting to link up with your convoy for additional protection might get ambushed because your convoy is late. All because you didnt arrive on time. I know that this example is a bit of an overreaction especially if you are just late or miss PT formation nevertheless it just goes to show a slippery slope that all actions have to impact the others around you. Accountability is the act of taking responsibility for that which falls under your domain—in other words, it’s doing what you say you’re going to do. Accountability is the cornerstone of integrity, which is the result of consistent honesty and responsibility in your actions. In the military, it is absolutely imperative that you do what you say you’re going to do and that you agree to be held accountable for those orders that are directed specifically to you or those in your command. A breakdown in leadership and responsibility can be bad anywhere, but it has the potential to be downright catastrophic in the military. Being in the military, you’ve obviously built some level of trust with those above and below you in order to get to your current rank. For those just starting out, the time in training helps superiors gauge your abilities and your commitment to the whole. Aside from all this, you have to build a trusted reputation with those with whom you work directly and are of equal rank. In the case of armed encounters, these are the people who will cover your back, and who need to be able to trust you to cover theirs. Nothing breeds trust like consistent, sustained accountability.

Averys Article on Global Warming :: Environmental Global Climate Change

As a reader the first thing I noticed about this piece is that it is an extract from The Guardian newspaper. This shows that this article is meant for intelligent and a more intellectual readership. Avery is trying to convince the reader that Global Warming is a good thing which we can benefit from. He is portraying his point of view by using his own assertions. He refers to the increase in global temperature in the next century as predicted by scientists. This method is used effectively by the author to help convince the reader to support his opinion. Avery uses a method which almost predicts the future, when in fact it is an educated guess to help support his opinion. An example of this is, "We can expect a peak population of approximately 8.5 billion in the year 2035." This is used effectively to stop the author from making a rash comment which may be proven wrong. This also shows that the author has conducted some research. He also rebuttals other scientific views. An example of this is, "That may sound like a lot, but it isn't." He uses this method lucratively. Avery says, " none of them expects to see the planet much warmer in the foreseeable future". This is a very widespread comment which is inaccurate, because Avery would have had to ask every scientist and each one will have had to have agreed. Avery also uses the history of the subject matter to help prove his point. Here is an example of this, "Between 900AD and 1300 the earth warmed by some 4-7 degrees." This is very effective as it shows the author has conducted some research and used it successfully. Avery uses many facts in his piece for example, " The world dropped into The Little Ice Age." This also shows that the author has used research to help his argument. Avery uses a clear structure in his piece. I noticed that the title, " Welcome To the garden of Eden" portrays a perfect paradise which can be interpreted as a

Concert Etiquette

Before going to a concert you should think about concert etiquette (good concert manners) to show respect to the fellow musicians. When going to a concert you should dress up in a way that would show the most respect to the musicians and the audience members around you. You should refrain from putting on perfumes fragrances since many people would be distracted by the smell, or be highly allergic to the product. In many concerts, you should arrive at least five to ten minutes before the concert begins. You should do this in order to get a program, find your seat, be seated.Remember to use the restroom before the concert starts, so you would not need to during the performance. It is very important to stay in your own seat and quietly seated while the concert is in progress. The reasons you should do this because it would be very disrespectful to the musicians, who put many hours into performing high quality music. Also it would be disrespectful to the audience trying to enjoy the musi c the musicians are performing. You should never leave the concert, while it is in progress unless you absolutely need to. Leaving a during a performance will distract others around you.If you do need to leave early, try leaving when there is a break or intermission in the program. When a concert is in progress, it's very important to stay as quiet as possible. During the concert you will want to whisper, hum, sing along, or tap your shoe don't do these things. It will distract others from the performance and will make unnecessary noise during the performance. If you bring a baby to the concert. When it cries or make another noise please try to exit the auditorium as quiet as possible. This will help others to not get distracted.Do not wave to your children(if they are performing) during the performance. They most likely already know that you are there and who you are. Please don't take flash photography, it would most likely blind a musician and won't be able to see their music. Do not walk down one the aisle to video tape the concert ( the light is usually not good enough for you to tape the concert ). Remember to not use your cell phone during the concert. Please turn them off before the concert begins. Refrain from unwrapping candy or cough drop wrappers during the performance. (If the omposer wanted the sound of crinkle paper noise, they would have written it in the piece. ) During a performance, you should never eat or drink. Just imagine sitting by someone chewing and drinking loudly. You would want to leave wouldn't you. While the concert is in progress, there will most likely be silence in some pieces. These are called movements. You would want to clap, but don't clap. A good way to know if it is a movement is if the conductor's arms are still up in the air, or if his/her back is turned to the audience. A good way to show appreciation during a performance is to applause.Even if you didn't enjoyed the music that was played, you should still show respec t and appreciation to the performers. Sometimes the audience will show more appreciation or enthusiasm for a good performance by standing while clapping. This is called a standing ovation. It would be more respectful to join and stand up even if you didn't think it shouldn't deserve one. It's completely acceptable to shout out words of appreciation, but not hateful comments towards the performers and conductor. Knowing this information will help you show respect to the performers, audience, and conductors during a concert.

The Wild By Jon Krakauer - 990 Words

Would choose a new car, a good job position and a high quality life or would you choose to give up all for a journey into the wild to discover the truth? Christopher Johnson McCandless choose ultimate freedom and truth rather than choosing security and material excess. The story into the wild is written by Jon Krakauer and it covers how Christopher lived for two years without the need of society and material excess. Chris journey enlightened him to the truth and made him feel the raw throb of existence. But, by mistaking people as part of society not as part of God creation and nature will suffer and eventually die. The journalist Jon Krakauer believes in Chris truth and see a relation between him and Chris and what gave him the motive ti write Into the Wild. Into the Wild is a true story that talks about Chris McCandless brave journey. Chris is an intelligent guy that grew up in a wealthy family in Washington D.c. Chris has a good relationship with his sister Caren. He had strong beliefs, values and morals that made him refuse to live in a materialistic value family that has no intentions of changing. During his journey, he encountered a friend called Westerberg that describe him in page 18 as an intelligent guy that did too much thinking and try to make sense of the world. Chris decided to go to Alaska and live there for a while to prove that one can go so far in life without the need of possessions. Chris did not want to live with his family because they caused him aShow MoreRelatedInto the Wild by Jon Krakauer563 Words   |  2 PagesJon Krakauer presents Into The Wild a tragic tale of a young ambitious man who is motivated to go into the wilderness and discover his true identity.Jon krakauer conveys many messages to his readers through Chris McCandless, and his messages often offer a warning to society.we will furture idenitfy how the author delievers the warning to society and what effect it can have upon society today.Three of the very important messages he empatizes on are the societies influence on people,the essence ofRead MoreThe Wild By Jon Krakauer1096 Words   |  5 PagesAllyssa Mikes July 2012 Into the Wild Mr. Fertmann Throughout the non-fictional novel Into the Wild, the author Jon Krakauer catches the reader’s interest early on in the book. Krakauer takes us on a journey, telling the story of young Chris McCandless’ adventures after abandoning everything he owned. Krakauer fully emerged himself into the study of McCandless’ life’s adventures and soon developed a deep understanding of who he was and how he impacted to world. Krakauer connected with McCandless in anRead MoreInto The Wild By Jon Krakauer946 Words   |  4 Pagescompelling novel â€Å"Into The Wild† by Jon Krakauer the character and intelligence of the youth in men is questioned. Through the pieced together 200 page novel we are introduced to Christopher Johnson McCandless also known as â€Å"Alex Supertramp†. A ripe 24 years of age he chose to question our reality and his meaning of life that is given to us by hitchhiking across America to the Alaskan wilderness, where after four months in the last frontier he is found dead. Krakauer throughout the novel shows thatRead MoreInto The Wild By Jon Krakauer1330 Words   |  6 Pagesshared.† - Jon Krakauer Into the wild. Jon Krakauer, the author of Into the Wild told the story of Chris McCandless. Chris escaped reality and went to go live off the land in Alaska, hoping to live a simpler life. In the novel, Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, Chris McCandless shared a similar philosophy with Jack London, as they both have a strong passion for Alaska, they both appreciated they beauty of nature, and both wanted to be reborn. In the novel, Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, Chris McCandlessRead MoreInto The Wild By Jon Krakauer1349 Words   |  6 PagesSummary Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer is a true story about Chris McCandless who is found dead in the Alaskan wild during September 1992. After discovering that his father had a secret secondary family when Chris was young, Chris pushes away his friends and family and eventually isolates himself. He obtains $25,000 from his parents by lying about attending law school and drives away from home, deserting his real name. He later leaves his car in Georgia after an engine breakdown due to rain damageRead MoreThe Wild By Jon Krakauer1522 Words   |  7 Pagesvictories.† (Richard M. Nixon). In his investigative biography, Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer, expresses that even though young people can be ignorant and take treacherous risks, these can be used as knowledge enhancers and can be life changers. Krakauer gives us insight by giving examples of what risk really are, how people take them, and how it actually affects those people. Throughout the whole book there are instances where krakauer uses real life examples of things that have happened where people haveRead MoreInto The Wild By Jon Krakauer Essay1237 Words   |  5 Pages Jon Krakauer s novel â€Å"Into the wild†, Is a story about a young man named Christopher McCandless or â€Å"Alex Supertramp† who went on a self discovering odyssey in which he had traveled around the U.S. The story surrounds Chris and his travels and what he had done at the time, leading to his death in August 1992. Thus the story takes a direction in the viewpoints of the people Alex has come across through in his travels. It speaks about what he had done at the time of his journey before he hadRead MoreInto The Wild By Jon Krakauer1013 Words   |  5 Pages Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer, narrates the life of adventurer and free spirit Christopher McCandless, who died August 1992 in the Alaskan wilderness; however, his journey still remains relevant in today’s pop culture due to the unresolved controversy of whether he is a saintly role model or hubristic fool. Krakauer openly states that he â€Å"won’t claim to be an impartial biographer† (Author’s Note) due to the parallels he struck with McCandless, and provides a more idealistic approach to the biographyRead MoreInto the Wild by Jon Krakauer1516 Words   |  7 PagesRosselini, John Waterman and Carl McCunn. They all went to Alaska, just like Chris and died. After that Chris continued to canoe and got caught by the US officers when he was trying to get back into the US from Mexico. So he spent a night in jail. Krakauer then compared Chris to Everett Reuss. They both changed their names and they both disappeared. Chris applied for an ID as Alex Supertramp and found a job in Los Angeles. New York Times published about Alex’s death. Jim Gallien and Wayne WesterbergRead MoreInto the Wild: by Jon Krakauer1186 Words   |  5 Pagessense Krakauers natural liking for McCandless. He was sympathetic to McCandless, based on Krakauers sense of a shared experience in their youth and up until McCandless eventual death and Krakauers perceived near death experience on the Devils Thumb. I believe the author’s main point and perspective was formed from his own experience and relationship with his father. While the situations were basically reversed with Chris not approving of his father and Lewis Krakauer disappointed in Jon for not