"The Impact of Soldierly Appearance and Military Bearing on Good Order and Discipline"
On the 11th of May 2015 I was in a in ranks inspection,at that time I was discovered to not have a haircut in accordance with AR670-1 Chapter 3 Regulations which states " The hair on top of the head must be neatly groomed. The length and bulk of the hair may not be excessive and must present a neat and conservative appearance. The hair must present a tapered appearance. A tapered appearance is one where the outline of the Soldier’s hair conforms to the shape of the head , curving inward to the natural termination point at the base of the neck." Also during that inspection I was not wearing my Air Assault Skill Badge on my uniform which lacked pride and dedication to my Air Assault unit. I was counseled by my chief that same day for failure to obey a regulation because of the haircut and failure to obey an order because of the Air Assault Badge.
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When you put on that uniform you step into a complete different body our actions and appearance is a direct reflection of you,your unit and the army.my unprofessional haircut did not reflect the discipline or military bearing I have gained since I have become a soldier in the United States
Throughout the history of the United States, different wars were fought and sides had to be taken one way or another. The Civil War was the first and only war up to this time where Americans fought Americans over their different beliefs. Something had to be made to distinguish who was on what side when fighting the war, which was when uniforms were made. Along with different sides, there were also different ranks between soldiers and generals. Uniforms were successful in keeping sides between the Union and Confederate forces and soldier’s ranks during the Civil War.
When in the Army or in any other branch of the military, the soldiers are required to wear a uniform. Most soldiers in the Army will wear the Army Combat Uniform, or ACU, on a daily basis.
The military culture is truly a society of warriors who heavily rely on each individual to master the ability of handling stress under the most extreme circumstances. Personal sacrifice in order to ensure mission success is paramount within the military culture. Due to this mindset, which is heavily reliant on demonstrating resilience through adversity and displaying inner strength, individuals diagnosed with a mental illness face an extraordinary battle amongst their peers.
Article 92 in the UCMJ makes it very clear that disobedience of orders can be easily punished through UCMJ action. Violation of any order from a NCO or any one placed above the soldier is a violation against the soldiers army values and more specificly his integrity. When a soldier shows lack of integrity and fails to do what is right, only thinking about what he wants, needs to be punished because that is the kind of behavior that we can't have in the army. In todays army there is no room for soldiers who don't follow orders,the army is down sizing and the ones who don't live by the army values will be the first to go.
Respect to me is admiring someone for their abilities, qualities, or achievements. I think respect is always earned an can never be given. As soldiers soldiers we should always respect our peers because they have made the same sacrifice as us. But as soldiers we should have a higher level of respect for our NCOs because they have done their time an have earned it. Being respectful is not hard it is simple, just treat others the way we would like to be treated ourselves.
Respect is probably the most important trait that needs to be shown towards your superiors. Every Armed forces branch in the United States of America has a chain of command in which respect is the main premise behind the entire organization. Respect backs the ideals and leadership within any chain of command. Respect is important in the design of the military system itself. You have to automatically trust and do what higher ranking cadet, or any cadre member says because they hold power and most likely have more experience then you. You must show them respect to because they have more knowledge and know how, not to mention they have earned the stop they are in. Respect also tires into the worrier’s ethos, which is an important aspect of what it means to be a member of the army.
Webster’s dictionary defines the word profession as a type of job that requires special education, training, or skill. Many Soldiers would not consider the Army as a profession but a way of life. Some think the word profession belongs to everyday jobs like a plumber, mechanic, or doctor. Dr. Don M. Snider stated “the Army is a profession because of the expert work it produces, because the people in the Army develop themselves to be professionals, and because the Army certifies them as such” (Snider, D. M. 2008). In October 2010, the Secretary of the Army directed the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) to lead an Army wide assessment of the state of the Army Profession. We have been at war as a Country for over a decade and the Army wanted to know how to shape the future of the Army as a profession and the effects the past decade had on our profession.
Throughout the military and the Army there many different regulations and rules to live by also known as custom courtesies that every soldier must follow in order to show the proper respect order and discipline as they then move on with their daily lives. Custom courtesies are put into place to give the proper respect for noncommissioned officers and the officers placed above them.AR 600 – 25 customs and courtesies is considered to many to be the foundation pillars of military life and major fundamentals to the methods that the Army conducts its business. Some of these fundamentals being as old as the Army itself with many of them coming from past traditions such as the Army values that we base most of what we do on. Many of these traditions having been established due to past military history and regulations that are being formed today in different ways to help soldiers to better understand how the way Army wants them to be acting in a particular manner over a long period of time. These custom and courtesies not only form the way a soldier acts upon his or her professional life but also his or her social life as a way of maintaining discipline. Customs is a means of doing something that has been done over a long period of time by select few for a large group of many. As a courtesy is a form of polite behavior and excellent manners given from one person to another session is saluting or even holding a door for someone. Even when our custom and courtesies are seemed to be strange by civilians is what sets a soldier and a civilian a part on more levels than one. As most of these means of acting are not found in civilian life as it does not require special behavior and maintain a certain level respect and professionalism.
Earlier in March 2014 the senior leadership of the Air Force, to include the Secretary of the Air Force, the Chief of Staff, and the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, made a statement to all airmen. They stated that “being an Airman is more than a job, when we voluntarily raised our right hands and took an oath to support and defend the Constitution, we became members of the profession of arms”, they also said that along with our profession of arms we are given and accept a sacred trust given to us by the American people, that to be worthy of this trust we must “build our lives and shape our service on the foundation of our core values”, and that when Airmen fail to live up to our core values, the reputation of all who serve is tarnished” (letter to airman, Mar 2014). Recently, I was tasked to deliver a briefing for the J3 monthly training day. This tasking was a result of my negligence in updating a certain system that is vital to the J3 watch floor. My briefing, although filled with correct information and guidance, was also slaked with profanity and unprofessional gestures. Regardless of any circumstances that may have been the cause for these actions, the actions needed correction. Correction was given, which was responded to by more profanity and provoking actions. After I showed such disrespect to my non-commissioned officer in charge, he escorted me to my supervisor and my actions were made known to him. During this time I was still acting very contentious and disrespectful, making snide comments and standing with such contempt as if to say “are you done now”. This of course escalated into more serious action by my leadership which very well could have been avoided had I done my duty correctly in the first place. The...
all Soldiers are the same and not taking the time to know and understand each Soldier
There are many militaries throughout the world but the US Military is seen as the most professional and capable military in the world. We are perceived this way due to our rules and regulations that have branched from our fundamental principles and doctrine. Uniformity is one of our leading regulations in the military. Uniformity is what makes the military have a professional image. It is the basis of our instructions and regulations concerning the dress and appearance of our military personnel. Recently however, the Pentagon has decided that it is more important to accommodate certain groups of people then to have a professional and uniform military. On January 22nd 2014 the Pentagon passed a new policy that is easing up on the existing regulations by allowing beards, turbans, headscarf’s, tattoos and piercings of religious nature to be worn while in uniform (Pellerin, 2014). This new policy has started a heated debate about whether this is a good idea or not. I myself believe that this policy should not be allowed because it is undermining basic military values, lowering our standards on regulations, and it is a start to a new undesirable military force.
An Army leader shapes his subordinates, stimulates their minds, and endorses motivation. An Army leader is a concept embodied by everyone in the Army despite what rank they have on their chest. At every level low to high, a leader’s actions affect people around them and may even have effects that go beyond what is expected. An Army leader’s intelligence is affected by five conceptual components that work hand in hand to define a leader; Mental Agility, Sound Judgement, Innovation, Interpersonal tact, and Domain Knowledge. Learning about these components shows me that recent events and mistakes have shown I do not yet fully embody all components, and it has given me insight on how to develop my weaknesses and improve myself to embody a leader
This simply in the military is completed by the leaders in the ranks. Leaders set the standards
Military Discipline is a state of order and obedience existing within a command. It involves the ready subordination of the will of the individual for the good of the group. Military discipline is an extension and specialized application of the discipline demands habitual but reasoned obedience that preserves initiative and functions unfalteringly even in the absence of the commander. Discipline is created within a command by instilling a sense of confidence and responsibility in each individual.
As I strive on to be a better soldier and take the initiative to be a leader in today’s Army, I look a little closer at each of these values. There is always something to work on personally and objectively. To me, being late to PT wasn’t that big of a deal, but if I look at the whole picture it is. If I look deeper as to what m actions are saying, I realize just how important appearance really is. If I am perceived to be a bad soldier that that is the way I will be treated. I will continue to strive to do the right thing and follow the advice of my leaders.