Protecting the Society: The Importance of Maintaining Military Bearing - Coursework Example

Introduction The military performs a very useful service in society. In an ideal world where respect, empathy, caring, and love rule, there would be no need for a military. People would observe the Golden Rule and all can live amicably and in peace. Unfortunately, this is not the reality and for thousands of years, it seems that whenever one group of people have found that they have an advantage over another they have sought to press that advantage, which may mean slaughtering thousands of innocent people. The military, in most societies, have sought to place a check on the plunder of their societies by standing ready to fight and defend. The fact that people in the military are willing to make such a sacrifice places them in a highly esteemed position. Even so, the population at large is not unaware that these same people in the military, who hold so much power to defend, can also turn that power into an oppressive tool. Those in the military who desire to stick with their main goal of protecting the society are therefore not unmindful that the way they carry themselves, the manner in which they deal with one another and with people outside the force, telegraph a strong message about the military, for good or ill. Navy Core Values Honor, Courage, and Commitment are the three core values that underlie service in the United States Army. The Navy has a proud tradition of striving to meet these values. With a tradition that dates back to October 13, 1775, when the Continental Congress authorized the deployment of a few small ships (“World’s Finest Navy” http://www.nstc.navy.mil/rtcgl/recruits/honor.html) the US. Navy has grown into the world’s finest naval force. The success and respect that the Navy enjoys stems in part from the unflinching attachment of all those in the Navy to the core values mentioned above. Honor Honor requires that members of the United States Navy conduct themselves ethically not just for their own peace of mind but also to earn the respect of subordinates, peers and superiors alike. It would also not do to have someone who is well respected in naval circles but who has a sordid reputation in the world outside of the military. Such a terrible reputation is certain to catch up with an individual in due course; the best way to conduct oneself is not to have a separate personality at work and another at home but to let the core value of honesty and integrity permeate one’s whole being and manner of dealing with others that it becomes a matter of course. Honor also means being able to speak up when something is not right; if one has a good idea for dealing with an emergency and one keeps quiet, watching others use a wrong and ineffectual method this hardly qualifies for an exercise in honor. Being a member of the Navy is not all good news; there are times when one might have to deliver good news. Honor demands that such responsibilities are handled with care and sensitivity. In fact, it would not do to do just what is enough to escape charges of unethical conduct. Honor means exceeding legal and ethical responsibilities not only in public life but also in private life, and this means honoring oneself and one’s colleagues, organization and way of life, all day and all night. A member of the naval service will therefore be careful about where he spends his leisure time after work. While America is a free country it is nevertheless important for service members to be mindful of how their “extracurricular” activities can impact upon their career and affect the image of the Navy. Courage As Shakespeare so aptly said, Cowards die many times before their death; the valiant never taste of death but once. Being a member of the Navy is not exactly a cakewalk. There are many benefits, not the least of which is the camaraderie that one enjoys with other service members. There are times, however, when the mission in question will demand of us courage. In the face of danger we can be wise but we cannot shrink out of fear. Whether it is having to contribute to the extinguishing of fire, neutralizing enemies who want to liquidate other members of our crew, or even helping to save other service members or defend the innocent, a service member has to be always prepared. A person who is overly concerned about his safety and survival cannot easily meet the test of courage that one might face. Courage also means making use of available resources in the best way possible rather than crying for more and more when such is possible. There are times when personal professional challenges might make it difficult to stand for what is right. Those who stand down in the face of such challenges do not qualify for the leader’s hat because they lack one of the most important elements or values of being a good Marine. It is also worth noting that courage does not mean proving to everyone in the neighbourhood that one is in the military. This means no fisticuffs with unruly neighbors or showing off one’s marksmanship skills in a personal war against neighbourhood miscreants. Commitment We currently live in a world of fragile commitments. Marriages are breaking up at the speed of light and dropping out of school is not all that uncommon. In such a world, being able to stay with one thing for a long time can be challenging. Commitment to the navy means recognizing the place of importance of the navy in one’s life. If one is committed one will be sure to report promptly to one’s station when need be. Commitment means understanding one’s role and responsibilities inside out. Commitment also means respecting the existing chain of command and not make it one’s habit to question everything one encounters. Commitment would also mean exemplifying the navy’s attitude of respect towards people of all races, religions, and of course gender. “Exhibit the highest moral character, technical excellence, quality and competence in what we have been trained to do. The day-to-day duty of every Navy man and woman, is to work together as a team to improve the quality of our work, our people and ourselves” (“World’s Finest Navy http://www.nstc.navy.mil/rtcgl/recruits/honor.html). The values of commitment that the Navy has are not only expressed in day-to-day work but in the relationships that the Navy builds with others in the community. For example, it is this element of respect and commitment that has got Naval Academy talking about playing with Notre Dame Football team all through to 2016 and possibly beyond. “The series is almost more emotional than anything else because of the history,” Navy athletics director Chet Gladchuck said. “It’s a legendary series. It a series to us that has meaning. There’s a mutual respect that is extraordinary because of the values we share. Notre Dame and Navy are two institutions that live their mission every day, a moral, mental and physical commitment to their students” (O’Toole 2004). Meaning of personal responsibility It is very easy for anyone to be on his or her best behaviour when others are around. When one is all by himself, perhaps away from family or friends, or in the quiet of one’s office or workstation it is easy to ignore some of the everyday forms of decorum or correct behaviour. But knowing the importance of personal responsibility means that you do not need to see others around before doing the right thing. For example, it is not uncommon for good friends to meet every now and then and chat in a bar or mess hall. A person who understands the meaning of personal responsibility will not drink to the point of being stupefied and seek to drive home, putting his life and those of others in danger. In one course offered by the Navy entitled “Personal Responsibility and Values Education Training (PREVENT) 2000” the Navy offered this course to sailors within the 18 t 26 age bracket. More than helping these young people to avoid alcohol abuse they were introduced to issues of responsibility in the following areas: “..alcohol abuse and drug use prevention; interpersonal relations; health and readiness; and financial responsibility” (“Three-day PREVENT 2000 course now available 1997). This kind of training is not done because the Navy has spare money to waste. They are held in a spirit of a genuine willingness to help young people chart a proper course for themselves and to learn to make the kind of responsible decisions that can earn them leadership spots in the future. Also, when the Navy has to sail to attend to an emergency it would not be a good thing if half the crew are nursing hangovers. In this respect, the Navy’s “Right Spirit” Alcohol Abuse Prevention Campaign offers just the kind of training that some young people need to develop a healthy relationship with the bottle. “The goals of “Right Spirit,” launched in 1996 by Secretary of the Navy John H. Dalton, are to enhance fleet readiness by reducing alcohol abuse and related incidents; to maintain a safe and productive working environment; and to ensure quality of life for Navy members, shipmates, their families and the communities where they live” (“Three-day PREVENT 2000 course now available”1997). For an individual who has a wife who is unemployed, there is no question that the matter of responsibility is even more important. This is because my wife depends on me and jeopardizing my job because of some irresponsible behaviour will not hurt only me but affect my wife as well. But personal responsibility also means ensuring that my wife is not the kind of person who delights in gossiping and using what idle time she has on her hands to foment trouble. This is important because the relationships that people in the navy enjoy both as sailors and as friends off base can be both close and complex. One does not want bad relationships, even one involving a wife, to affect responsibilities on the job. Also, having a wife means respecting other women and not doing anything that will bring dishonour to my wife. Though a great deal of time has passed since the 1991 Tailhook scandal, “when a mob of US Navy officers ran out of control at a Las Vegas convention, ripping blouses and bras off women’s backs before jeering with derision” (Letts 1996 21), all those in uniform have become aware of how easily their misdemeanours can affect the image of the military outfit that they have pledged to serve with honor. As Letts writes of the issue of sexual harassment, “Harassment is unquestionably a problem, but things are improving. A recent survey of 47,000 uniformed personnel found that 78 percent of the women and (38 per cent of men) said they had received unwelcome sexual attention from a colleague in the past year. However, the same survey also showed that the much-harpooned US Navy was doing a good job in making people aware. Seventy-one percent of naval women said the problem was on the wane” (Letts 1996 21). Importance of following all standing orders There is a saying that “No man is an island.’ If this is true in everyday life it is even more so in the military. No one goes to fight a war alone! Being able to work cooperatively with others is a very important aspect of maintaining military bearing and this includes being able to follow orders. There is plenty of room for creativity and personal initiative in the military but there is a need for certainty in various other aspects otherwise chaos would result. When there are standing orders such as writing an out of bounds chit before leaving an area, it is very important to respect this and to follow this. If one leaves an operational area and there is a hazard there it may be there someone else might wander in there and hurt himself or even sabotage an installation or machine. Giving the proper indication as to one’s whereabouts helps to safeguard materiel as well as human life. Sneaking away because of the assumption that one would not get the permission to leave is counter to the honor system that is so much a part of the Navy code. For one’s own safety and protection, for the safety and protection of one’s colleagues in the Navy and for the sake of clarity, one has to learn to obey. There is another saying that he who wants to command must first learn to obey. For any Navy personnel who aspire to leadership positions it must be obvious enough that there is no virtue in cutting corners and putting one’s life and career on the line for the sake of some temporary expedient. Ideally though one’s sense of honor alone should be enough to hammer home the point that violating standing orders and leaving one’s permanent station without going through the proper formalities is wrong, just plain wrong. Operational Risk Management Risk management is an indispensable part of being a member of the Navy. In effect, while it is important to accomplish a particular mission it is also important to do so with the welfare of Marines in view. Whereas the traditional method of risk management was dependent on an individual’s common sense and may even involve a bit of adventure embodied in the notion of “can do” regardless of risk, Operational Risk Management (ORM) takes a systematic, methodical approach based on analysis of a risks and considerations of possible benefits. It is not random and involves knowledge that can be disseminated among leaders and rank and file alike. The Navy often has to tackle difficult assignments that require a high level of reliability. If you have no faith in your equipment it is difficult to have the confidence necessary to get one’s job done. Whether in combat or a rescue operation it is possible to lose some assets to enemy action but it is not acceptable to lose one’s own assets due to mishaps as has generally been the case with US Forces (“Naval Safety Centre” www.safetycenter.navy.mil/instructions/orm/3500_39B.pdf). Such losses have included friendly fire, property damage, injuries, and fatalities. Among the common mishaps have been individual failure, support failure, leader failure, training failure, and standards failure. ORM seeks to minimize or eliminate these failures by building the requisite safety mechanisms first of all into the equipment used. This means that at the engineering level there are attempts to create or design products that will not themselves be a hazard to personnel operating them. Unfortunately, such engineering controls are not always feasible (“Naval Safety Centre” www.safetycenter.navy.mil/instructions/orm/3500_39B.pdf). With respect to administrative controls, these could include clear and visible markings or signs along with written polices, instruction and the proper limits placed on the number of personnel that may be exposed to a hazard. Other administrative controls include rest plans, drills, rules of engagement, cover and concealment, rehearsals, and briefs. The use of protective equipment can minimize the contact that a person has with a potential hazard. This can be an additional safety measure when other measures are inadequate. The steps involved in performing ORM include first of all Identifying hazards. After all, if one does not know that something constitutes a hazard one may not treat it with the level of caution necessary to stay out of harm’s way. Identification of hazards is not just a mental exercise that involves locating potential hazards and forgetting about them. It is important to list the major steps in an operation. This can also be of use to other personnel who may be new to an area and need to acquaint themselves quickly with a project or area. If there are particular hazards associated with a particular step this should be noted along with what may be the causes of the hazards. Next in line is Assessing Hazards. There are many different kinds of hazards and it does not help to treat all hazards in the same way. One will not treat an ant and a Burmese python in the same way, would one? In this regard, one might use a matrix to help show the various probabilities associated with particular hazards. It helps to know whether a critical risk is highly probable or unlikely and whether a something of moderate severity is nevertheless highly likely. In terms of Risk Assessment Codes, the following are recommended: Critical, Serious, Moderate, Minor, and Negligible ((“Naval Safety Centre” www.safetycenter.navy.mil/instructions/orm/3500_39B.pdf). Third is Making Risk Decisions. Navy personnel cannot just keep their fingers crossed and hope for the best. There is a need to think and make assessments in the same way that one might decide to give a Burmese python a wide berth while sitting down unconcerned while an ant makes a seemingly endless journey near one’s mat. In this connection, it is important to develop controls to deal with each of the identified hazards. Following the development of a control, the risk should be assessed again. After all, one does not want to institute a solution that causes other problems that may be even more difficult to handle than the original hazard. Assessment of risks against benefits is a good exercise in this regard. Implementation of Controls involves making use of selected controls such as orders, briefs, training, or rehearsals. It is important that things are not left to chance. Rather, it should be specified who is responsible for what and when. This clarity should help diminish the emergence of problems when one least expects it. With such clarity in place when a problem flares up there will be no doubts about who is responsible for handling it. Among the things that can go wrong with implementation are having the wrong control in place for the wrong problem, and operators complaining that they do not like the solution. In some cases while operators might be happy with a control, the leaders would hate it! Cost may also be a factor. These are only a few of the problems that might be associated with implementation controls and should be taken into consideration. Supervision, which involves enforcing standards is very important. This helps to maintain operational alertness at all times. If all Navy personnel maintained military bearing at all times it would not be necessary to worry too much about supervision but Navy personnel are human and subject to the common frailties common to humans such as tiredness and unintentional neglect. When people know that they are being supervised and that their work is being checked they are likely to be more careful in doing what is required of them. Maintaining military bearing means being always alert not only on the job but in everyday life. It means taking one’s job seriously and recognizing that others count on one’s effectiveness and efficiency. Maintaining military bearing means that one recognizes one’s responsibilities outside the service whether it is taking responsibility for a wife who is unemployed or for children who are growing and are subject to temptations of various kinds. Maintaining military bearing, for a person in charge of calibrations for gauges that monitor magazine conditions, is critical because a mistake, unintended or not, could have a detrimental effect that can be quite widespread. If all members of the Navy maintained military bearing morale will be high; confidence will be high; losses will be low and success will be practically assured. Honor. Courage. Commitment. That is our code. Bibliography “Department of the Navy.” www.safetycenter.navy.mil/instructions/orm/3500_39B.pdf (December 14, 2006) “Guidance for Navy and Marine Corps Personnel Recovering from a Hurricane Disaster.” United States Navy (10 November 2005) Letts, Quentin. “One grope and you’re out.” The Times, (Nov 14, 1996):21. “Three-day PREVENT 2000 course now available 1997.” All Hands, Issue 963, (Jul 97):46. O’Toole, Thomas. “Naval Academy values matchup.” USA Today, (10/15/2004). World’s Finest Navy http://www.nstc.navy.mil/rtcgl/recruits/honor.html (December 14, 2006) Read More