Personal Accountability. Has the military lost sight of it?

2015-03-21T10:10:48-04:00

It seems that when some thing goes wrong that people jump left and right to pawn the responsibility on some one else. This is really prevalent when a 1st line supervisor's feet are held to the fire because one of his subordinates gets a DUI or such. I don't see a valid reason for this unless the 1st line is with the subordinate 24/7 - 365. When does supervision end and personal responsibility begin?

Response by TSgt Joshua Copeland made Mar 21 at 2015 11:29 AM

2015-03-21T11:29:35-04:00

I know it is a common thing in the AF when a troop gets a DUI their supervision chain gets grilled about "what did you do to prevent this?" We have weekly don't drink and drive brief, hand out the number of Airman Against Drunk Driving, the number of a local cab, and their first line and section NCOIC or Chief.

Response by Capt Jeff S. made Mar 21 at 2015 2:39 PM

2015-03-21T14:39:33-04:00

What happened to individual responsibility and personal accountability for one's actions? People are old enough to know better. It's not the command's fault when their people get DUI's out in town. The command is right to have safety lectures before 96's etc. but human nature being what it is, you aren't going to get through to everyone. I don't in any way see that as a failure of leadership, but as individuals acting irresponsibly.

Response by Capt Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 21 at 2015 7:02 PM

2015-03-21T19:02:04-04:00

Honestly, I think that some of the "blame" could also be legitimately shielded from supervisors if we could fix the evaluation system. The practice of evaluating personnel with exaggerated scores. Everyone has to be doing great... Instead of honest evaluation of where the troop stands. It does nothing to show them the value of responsible actions and thinking, encourages negative decision making, and leaves no obvious trail of attempted guidance. The "everyone's-a-winner" atmosphere makes it difficult to truely provide supervision and leadership. You can't make people paint rocks and cut grass. When eval time comes around bullets about making kids smile at the Toys for Tots and effective monitoring of the Golden Flow exam are somehow turned into positive bullets.
That being said, sometimes even great troops make horrible choices and end up in trouble... Then again, those are the troops who usually own it.
Evaluations of our men and women should be accurate and timely. They shouldn't be inflated and "touchy-feely" so that the recipient has a better chance at promotion down the road. If someone needs extra counseling and guidance, show that. If they have a reflection of improvement over each evaluation, that demonstrates growth, effective followership, and improved responsibility. If the evaluations show a repetition of poor behavior, inability to function with military bearing or within the structure required of their branch and MOS, then the trail should be reflected to reduce finger pointing and blaming of supervisors that clearly have tried to help someone that clearly is not cut out to serve.

Response by CSM Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 22 at 2015 12:18 AM

2015-03-22T00:18:26-04:00

I started serving in an era when a person took responsibility for their actions. As time went on, the emphasis seemed to shift from personal accountability to a misplaced leadership responsibility role.

Don't you already know you shouldn't drink and drive? Isn't it already against the law? Why should I have to do anything for you to not get a DUI?

Anytime I see a person fail to accept responsibility for their actions I see it as a sign of weakness on their part.

Response by SGM Mikel Dawson made Mar 22 at 2015 2:47 AM

2015-03-22T02:47:39-04:00

I think this starts way before entering the service, when one's about knee high to a grasshopper! Many values are not taught at home and instilled as the proper age. Also many kids are not being held accountable for their actions, where it being not doing chores at home, not completing school work, not showing up on time. Allowances teach kids not to take responsibility, instead they figure they need paid for everything like keeping their room clean, taking out the trash, cleaning the house, being good. It is so much easier to pay kids off than to teach them responsibility.

Home environment has a big effect. Many kids are raised in a one parent home. Sure that one parent is probably doing their best, but it is tough. I've seen many good kids come from single parent homes, so I know it can be done. And even some homes where there are two parents, too many times both parents are caught up in their own worlds and not supporting their kids. I seen it many times growing up, and many times as a Drill Sergeant. If personal values are not taught early, then many times it's tough to get it right later.

I can think of a couple times as a SGM I made decisions, later I heard, "Who in the hell told you to do that?" and this is where I'd step up and say "I did". There have been times I got "told" it was wrong, but I also gained respect because of the facts: 1. I make a decision, 2. I stuck by what I said, 3. I admitted what I did. Yes it's a learning curve.

The Army has promoted the not being personal accountability. When I was deployed in 2001 in Pristina, Kosovo, there were two bars supported by NATO on the base. Most all the NSEs had bars as well (except the USNSE, we were pure at heart), and there were rules as well. The two NATO bars and the NSEs all knew the rules as did the soldiers there. If you broke the rules you were held accountable - the soldier was punished for getting drunk, and the bar / NSE could loose it's liquor license. The whole camp wasn't wasn't punished for the one's miss guided judgement.

If the U.S. Military did this, then there'd be more looking out for themselves and their buddies. Instead the U.S. military promotes mass punishment, so who's really making personal accountability low on the list?

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made May 2 at 2015 3:16 PM

2015-05-02T15:16:45-04:00

It's pointless to harass an NCO who has no control over a soldiers actions off duty. However, I did tell the E-5s to inquire about weekend plans to see if they make sense and are safe.

In the old army infractions were kept in house like at the battalion level for DUIs. Now it goes to the post commander and the CG. I guess more crap runs downhill further and faster now.

Response by SN Timothy Ehrenhaft made Jul 16 at 2015 2:07 AM

2015-07-16T02:07:35-04:00

I'm confused by many of the responses - when did we stop being our brother's keeper? We save the world from tyrants, but we can't save our brother/sister from him/her self, lest we risk our own career or promotion? People wonder why morale and retention are low.. Camaraderie is easy when the goings are easy, but what about when it really matters? We warn about the road ahead in a convoy, but our real lives are left to hit the wall.. that's not brotherhood of service.