Values are the Army's Code of Honor

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Values are the Army's Code of Honor I believe it is a great idea to put the Army's core values on a plastic dog tag and require us to wear them around our necks. It's a great reminder to us of who and what we are. But more importantly it's a reminder to soldiers of what to look for in their leaders. Maybe that's what has so many leaders irate enough to write letters and articles about how offensive it is when they are reminded of the Army's values. No one ever learned values by being given a card, tag or anything else with a list of values on it. But I fear too many of us are getting so wrapped up in this thought that we've lost track of what's important. Where do values come from? As a child, did my parents make a list of things to tell me how to conduct my life? Treat others? Treat myself? Did they hang the list around my neck? No, they didn't. Instead, they modeled for me how I should live as an adult. Notice I said modeled for me how I should live not would live.person shift- the subject of notice is understood to be "you" That modeling by my parents and other influential adults provided me with my values, not a list hanging around my neck. The same is true for soldiers. Soldiers don't and will not learn values by wearing them on a tag around their neck. They learn the values modeled by their leaders and more specifically their NCO leaders. Whether those values compliment the Army's core values, or something else, does not matter. What matters is that the values modeled for soldiers are the values learned by soldiers. That's a sobering thought, and it should be. So maybe those little tags and cards do serve a valuable purpose as constant reminders of what we must model for our soldiers - and now the sold... ... middle of paper ... ...rly Training Briefing slide. Values are the code of Honor we claim to live by. The challenge that lies ahead for all in the uniformed services is an unfailing commitment to do the right thing in every walk of life. At times the right path can prove to be elusive. There are various reasons for this, be it bureaucracy, politics or hypocritical leadership. One cannot allow others misgivings to interfere with one's own actions. We must be forthright and relentless in the pursuit of truth. Leaders at all levels must demand of themselves, their peers, their leaders and subordinates, a standard of conduct beyond reproach. It sounds like a great idea to me, and I admire your belief in it. I wear a little angel pin on my shoulder to remind me of what I believe in. Visual reminders are, I think, good for all of us. That's why I hang my flag on my balcony every day.

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