respecting your chain of command

Why is it important to respect your Chain of Command? This is a common question asked by a lot of new soldiers and experienced ones but the answer is simple and for many reasons. There is an old saying among army leaders, “Take care of your people, and they’ll take care of you.” The reasons are to start, because of the Army Values, the NCO creed, and basic morals. The Army Values: loyalty, duty, RESPECT, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage. These are things every Soldier, NCO, and Officer agrees to live by as guidance for how they carry themselves in day to day life. The respect value is defined as; “Treat people as they should be treated. In the Soldier’s Code, we pledge to “treat others with dignity and respect while expecting others to do the same.” Respect is what allows us to appreciate the best in other people. Respect is trusting that all people have done their jobs and fulfilled their duty. And self-respect is a vital ingredient with the Army value of respect, which results from knowing you have put forth your best effort. The Army is one team and each of us has something to contribute.” The Chain of Command was established as a way to not have all duties fall over one person, each person in the Chain of Command has an essential function. Without filling in your appropriate person, the chain fails. Sometimes this is as little as not mentioning an appointment or could be as large as fatalities in a combat scenario. The chain cannot function properly if not used appropriately, if the Chain of Command is abused, there is a lack of integrity or loyalty, or lack of respect. Respect of the Chain of Command is essential due to each person’s functions within it. With failure to respect even the lowest members on the Chain of Command a break occurs in the functionality. The NCO creed is another point to mention in why one should respect their Chain of Command. An excerpt from the creed states “All soldiers are entitled