Posted on Oct 29, 2013
Why do Soldiers not understand that the Army Values apply 100% of the time?
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Why do Soldiers have such a hard time being comfortable with the ideas that 1) the Army values are valuable 100% of the time - on and off duty and 2) a Soldier should act like in a professional manner no matter where he or she should find themselves?
For that matter, why are leaders OK with lapses in integrity or selfless service (for example) if the Soldier in question isn't on base, on duty, or in uniform at the time of the lapse?
Values
Selfless Service
Character
Integrity
Posted 11 y ago
Responses: 15
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I think it comes down to the "do as I say, not as I do" mentality. What put lots of high standards and expectations on our new soldiers for them only to be surrounded by leadership, senior leadership for that matter in the news about once a week for violating our core values. If we are going to instill these values in our soldiers they have to see it lived through our actions. Sadly they are not. From our top generals, whether it be Patreus having an affair, GEN Ward defrauding the govt through travel vouchers, SFC Sharp reps prostituting women at Ft. Hood, videoing cadets at West Point, Post Commander relieved at Ft. Jackson for adultery, Hospital Commander at Evans Army CH with over 30 sexual harassment complaints, 1SG's and CSMs getting DUIs, etc. We are SURROUNDED by it. So yes, its a hard sell. I've seen a SGT reduced and chaptered out over $50 on a travel voucher at the same time GEN Ward was caught of at least $80,000 that we know of. We call them standards but we don't enforce them as such.
The problem is not the soldiers it is the leaders. I had excellent leaders coming up in the beginning of my career and I did all I could to emulate them. I wanted to be like them. Now, not so much. All we can do now is try to influence those directly under us and hope they get it enough to keep it once they move on.
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SSG Robert Burns
I left this one out too. They can't even make it out of basic training without seeing us fail at the army values. Every week another drill sergeant is getting relieved for something here at Ft. Jackson. What do we expect from them if they can't even make it out of basic pure?
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SSG Robert Burns
That being said we make celebrities out of the negative ones. Just like the news reports the airplane crashes not all the safe landings. When's the last time you saw someone on the cover of the Army Times for doing something good other than winning a medal? We don't do a good enough job promoting our good leaders and making examples out of them. You are quick to hear a commander say when someone messes up "I'm going to make an example out of them." Frankly I believe you are making an example out of the wrong ones. Last I checked, an example is something you are to follow.
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SSG (Join to see)
People almost always remember the negative influences over the positive. I think this is because the negative usually impacts us to a greater degree, especially when you see the negative influences rise through the ranks above their peers who do the right thing all of the time.
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I would argue that as a leader, you can't wholly be good at your job if you have lax morals and values. You must set the example at all times, and at the very moment when you think none of your subordinates are watching you and so you compromise your values, that may be the moment when they're paying the most attention. As a leader, you must live the values of the service at all times, even when no one is looking.
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CMC Robert Young
Sir, you are spot on. I would observe that the two most significant, and most often overlooked leadership (or even just personal) character issues are development of a strong moral compass, and an abiding self awareness that decisions made in light of those core values impact not only the leader but the led. Good post!
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SSgt (Join to see)
I agree to the extent that we were/are never really off-duty. I guess the same goes for most cops. If a cop is seen in public drunk, he loses respect by the community. Any breech amongst cops or in our case, veterans, is a big problem.
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CPT Jacob Swartout
Good leaders will live the Army Values daily. They won't have to be reminded to do what is right by others who find them doing something wrong and against what the Army Values stand for. Unfortunately, we tend to correct many Soldiers daily.
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SFC,
I think the answer to this question comes down to the distinction between "having a job as a soldier" or truly being a part of the Profession of Arms. This concept of being a professional soldier is something that I see in writing, hear in speeches, and talked about in training but rarely do I see it actually lived out in the lives of Jr leaders in the Army. In my experiences, I tend to see this ideal being lived in Sr leadership (Officers and NCOs) that are career soldiers more often than with our Jr leaders. I've spoken about this very subject with leaders in our Army and many contribute this to the fact that we've gotten away from our garrison based ideals and that over a decade of war has brought about a lax attitude in our Jr and some of the newer Sr leadership. Regardless of the reason for this regression, it comes down to leaders at all levels to enforce and instill into our soldiers what it means to be a professional through our own example. I've had leaders in the past that have done just that and I can tell you that it has made an impression on me as a soldier and on the way I view the career I've chosen. If you, as a leader, allow your soldiers to make decisions that bring discredit on themselves and on our profession without repercussions, you are not only hurting the Military but doing that soldier a disservice.
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SFC (Join to see)
I agree with you, sir. I would only add one perspective. The idea that we can focus on professionalism in garrison but are too busy to do so during a time of conflict is a faulty one. I know you didn't pen the idea so I'm not saying your thinking is faulty. I'm only suggesting that we need to put professionalism before everything, including going to war because as Leonidas proved, he took more Soldiers to war than Daxos the Arcadian and that made all the difference.
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CPT (Join to see)
You are 100% correct. That is the problem with mass production in any industry. You almost always have to sacrifice quality for quantity. Now we are having to cut the fat and it's a painful process. Certain standards have been compromised and in many soldiers and leaders, have been the norm for their entire career. As we rediscover being a professional applies when deployed, in garrison, and off duty, there will be growing pains in the form of resentment and rejection from those being forced to change.
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SFC (Join to see)
2LT Brantley, if you haven't picked it up, I highly recommend Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done. It is a good book that talks about a lot of things that any leader needs to be good at. The end is particularly germane here as it talks about the personnel evaluation process. Essentially, if we train our first line supervisors in HR principles: picking the right people for the right job, evaluating fairly with an eye toward production, mentorship, etc. we will get where we need to be. You might read it if you haven't.
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SSgt (Join to see)
2nd Lt. Brian B you make some valid points as many of the old guard are leaving but I think because of sequestration and other issues today, soldiers will reacquire that leadership. IMHO
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