Adverse effects of poor integrity

Military Integrity

Adverse Affects of Poor Integrity

The Seven Core Army Values, Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity and Personal Courage, are the essence of being a solider (Living pp). The Soldier's Code that states, to "treat others with dignity and respect while expecting others to do the same," is a vital ingredient of Army value (Living pp).

During the American Revolution, European armies were held together by the most severe discipline, and enlistments were often for as long as twenty years, with very low pay and punishments that would be considered extreme cruelty by the standards of today (Army 5-2). Soldiers were threatened with flogging and even death in order to reduce desertion and motivate them for battle (Army 5-2). The tone of the period was set by Frederick the Great of Prussia who believed that soldiers should fear their NCOs more than the enemy (Army 5-2). When the Continental Army was founded, the European tradition of harsh discipline was rejected, because the Army's first trainer, Friedrich von Steuben, was from the old Prussian tradition, and came to understand that it would take more than threats to get the American recruits to perform well on the battlefield (Army 5-2). General George Washington agreed and together, both leaders recognized that the American soldier was an individual citizen, not an interchangeable commodity, thus citizen-soldiers would have to be led, inspired and disciplined by reason, therefore, creating the need to counsel (Army 5-2).

Counseling is a type of communication that leaders use to empower soldiers to achieve goals by implementing communication that is aimed at developing a soldier's ability to achieve individual and unit goals (Army 5-2).

Soldiers want to be counseled and will respond to successful leadership that provides each individual with the best possible road may to success (Army 5-2).

The leadership doctrine of today incorporates this definition in subordinate-centered communication that leads to the achievement of individual and unit goals (army 5-2). For counseling to be effective, leaders must be honest and straightforward in feedback, and through respect, the best form of communication will be found (Army 5-6). Senior NCOs should develop the counseling skills of their subordinate leaders and can achieve this by sitting in on a counseling session or a reception and integration counseling, and then do an AAR with the junior NCO (Army 5-6).

A noncommissioned officer has duties, responsibilities and authority that guide those under his leadership with the integrity needed to maintain a proper discipline and performance of troops (Army 2-6). An officer's duty must be done by virtue of his position and is not only a legal obligation, but a moral one as well, and although his duties are numerous, his priority is taking care of soldiers, which is accomplished by developing a genuine concern for their well-being (Army 2-7).

Understanding the soldiers enables the leader to train them as individuals and teams that operate proficiently and this gives the troops confidence in their own ability to perform at maximum skill under the demanding and difficult conditions of battle (Army 2-7). Individual training is the primary duty of NCOs, for no one is more involved with training soldiers, and it is the leader's responsibility to make certain they are well trained (Army 2-7). Soldiers who are not properly trained will not succeed or survive on the battlefield, thus, the success of combat and the survival of the troops depends on how well their leader has prepared them (Army 2-7). Moreover, leadership most succeeds by example, therefore it is imperative that a leader demonstrate the skill and qualities he desires from his soldiers by setting the standards himself (Army 2-7). In other words, he should not ask anything of his troops that he is not willing and capable of achieving, therefore, decisions should not only be executed with energy and enthusiasm, the leader should be right beside the soldiers, no matter the weather or tasks (Army 2-7). Without the respect of his troops, a NCO will not have the proficiency needed for success because his soldiers will be less than willing due to their own feelings of inadequacy (Army 2-7). Only a leader with integrity is capable of breeding integrity in his soldiers, all of which is vital to the success of any task and the survival of the troops (Army 2-7).

Integrity also involves being able to execute proper judgement at all times, which means that there may be times when it becomes necessary to refuse to obey illegal orders (Army 2-8). This is a duty that must be performed, for there is no choice but to do what is ethically and legally correct no mater how difficult the situation may be (Army 2-8). Integrity involves moral courage, and this may mean questioning a supervisor on what may appear to be an illegal order and seeking advice from other arenas (Army 2-8). At times this may prove to be more demanding than physical courage, however it is vital to the leader's reputation and the reputation of his soldiers, and may also prove to be vital for the success of tasks and overall physical survival (Army 2-8).

NCOs must be responsible for their own individual duties, as well as ensure their teams and units are successful, thus he is accountable for his own personal conduct and that of his soldiers (Army 2-14). Moreover, each solider is individually responsible for his own personal conduct which is a responsibility that cannot be delegated, for only he is accountable for his actions to his fellow soldiers, leaders, unit and the entire United States Army (Army 2-14). Integrity involves a proper sense of responsibility that is vital to success and survival (Army 2-14). Dereliction of duty is born from a lack of integrity and a proper sense of responsibility and may result in devastating effects for the individual as well as the unit and possibly the entire Army as a whole (Army 2-14). Thus, a leader must ensure that his soldiers have a clear understanding of their responsibilities as members of the team and as representatives of the United States Army (Army 2-15). Although commanders set overall policies and standards, all leaders must provide the guidance, resources, assistance and supervision necessary for soldiers to perform their duties, for mission accomplishment depends on the integrity of all involved (Army 15).

It is imperative for soldiers to hold respect for their NCO and appreciate the integrity with which he executes his authority to organize, direct, and control his troops in order that they accomplish their assigned missions (Army 2-23).

NCO's authority stems from the combination of the chain of command and his support channel as orders and policies are passed to him through the chain of command providing him with the necessary authority to execute the task (Army 2-31). Since all commissioned officers and noncommissioned officers are given such broad authority, it is critical that they possess the integrity to use mature and sound judgement (Army 2-31). Being confident in one's proper authority demonstrates integrity and that in turn earns respect of the soldiers and superiors (Army 2-31). And respect plays a vital role in the success of a mission and the survival of the troops, because soldiers who respect their leader will perform their tasks with skill and enthusiasm, thus lessening a potential mission failure (Army 2-31).

A leader's integrity must exude to his soldiers to the extent that they themselves demonstrate superior qualities in every facet of their lives (Army 2-33). Not only must the soldiers be skilled in their specific mission duties, they must be certain that their equipment and clothing is equal to efficient performance and excellent maintenance (Army 2-33). It is not enough to know how to perform a duty skillfully, a soldier must appreciate the fact that no duty can be performed without properly maintained equipment (Army 2-33). Without the integrity to understand the importance of proper maintenance, a soldier may well be risking the health and safety environment for himself and others, not to mention risking the success of a task or mission (Army 2-33).