Accountability in the Army

What does it really mean to be a United States soldier? Most would say that it takes the embodiment of bravery, selfless service, honor, and sacrifice. And most would be right. But what good would these coveted traits be in the hands of an irresponsible soldier? Every service member has been charged to maintain their arms, equipment and self at all times. If they don’t, they could easily take themselves out of the fight, putting themselves and their battle buddies in harm’s way. This is called accountability. No matter if you are a Private First Class with an M-4, a Non-Commissioned Officer with a squad, or a Brigadier General in charge of a post, everyone is accountable for whatever is assigned to them. One of the things that makes our military strong is the fact that it can assemble at the drop of a dime. This could not be achieved if those in charge were not accountable for themselves and their subordinates. In this paper I will stress the importance of responsibility in the United States Army.

A Soldier must always actively strive to reflect well upon the Army. To do this, they must hold themselves to a higher standard than the rest of society. From the outside looking in, It would be unreasonable for a citizen to place faith in a person who cannot even be responsible for themselves, especially with a task as great as defending a country. If it was a wide spread problem, it would reflect negatively on the United States Army and we would lose our support from the home front. As a soldier goes through his or her career and attempts to advance through the ranks in the Army, they come across many peers and superiors. Some of these peers’ lives could very well depend on that individual soldier. So if he or she appears ate up, how could they entrust him or her with their safety? If somehow this irresponsible person were given a position of power, they would set a bad example for their subordinates to follow. Integrity is a value closely linked to