The Concept of Accountability

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Accountability is a subject that ranges through every spectrum of life. From simply knowing your food supply by opening the refrigerator, to knowing the exact amount of ammunition a military convoy has at its disposal, down to each individual round. When we know what the situation is, and hold each person responsible for they're actions in the situation, that is the concept of accountability at its root. If we are not to hold each other responsible for each of our own actions and choices then we will never be able to correct problems and concerns, which will make us fail as a whole because the smallest individual action can account for the gravest of concequences. In this essay I'm going to show how important accountability is in the everyday life of a United States Marine. I will do this by presenting the textbook definition of accountability then dissecting it and defining it in my own words. I will then show you how the military practices accountability with everything it does; by applying a system that is similiar to that of checks and balances. I will tie into this the Incident that occurd in 29 Palms, CA on August 31, 1988, where the failure to have accountability of all the marines on Base ultimately resulted in the negligent death of one Marine, and the ruined careers of those who were in charge of him. Lastly I will go down to the basic level of the Marine Corps: the life of the individual Marine and how he can, and naturally does to a point, apply accountability to his every action, be it on or off duty. n. The legal or regulatory obligation imposed on an officer or other person for keeping accurate record of property, documents, or funds. The person having this obligation may or may not have actual possession of th... ... middle of paper ... .... Start to save money because you know your low on finances, begin to apply your funds towards the families needs and not your own needs. In this very same aspect do we as Marines must apply accountability into everything we do in the Marine Corps and in our everyday lives. Accountability is a subject that covers everything from knowing how many diapers are left for the baby, to knowing how many AT-4 Rocket launchers are in the Platoon, who has them, and how experienced they are with using it. If you hold yourself accountable for your actions then your superior will not have to, because you already know the proper course of action to take to correct your issue, and to present any change to them so as to keep the Unit in working condition, and the Corps able to complete its mission. Works Cited Oxfords Dictionary of the US Military Webster's Unabridged Dictionary

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