The Greatest Threat Facing the Army Profession [Military Review]
By Johnson, Dan | |
Proquest LLC |
"IT'S ABOUT THE men next to you. That's it. That's all it is." This is the closing note of the movie
Framing loyalty as the bonds between soldiers facing conflict together is a common way for us to think about loyalty in the military-particularly when we are applying it to the
Often, though, the loyalty felt between comrades is just the loyalty most easily understood and communicated-and we, as the Army Profession, must communicate loyalty. It is an Army Value, first in the mnemonic acronym LDRSHIP. The definition we officially provide is-
Bear true faith and allegiance to the U.S. Constitution, the
This explanation states what the Army Profession expects of new members. It gives them a structure by which to arrange their loyalties. Yet, too many American soldiers come away from the Army Values with the wrong ideas about loyalty. Not understanding, and not living by, the values we profess is the greatest danger facing the Army Profession in the next decade.
As human beings, we naturally feel the strongest emotional bonds-we feel loyal-to those closest to us. Our emotional ties evoke a strong sense of loyalty to family, to the team on the field, to the local gang, or to the military unit.2 This loyalty is the default setting-the one our American culture reinforces with movies like Saving Private Ryan, with television like Band of Brothers, and with the endless echo chamber of the media. Military scholars often revert to the same default.
In "Why They Fight," Dr.
So? What's Wrong With This?
The problem is that we give credence, throughout the Army Profession, to the notion of a "conflict of loyalties." Drill, small group, and platform instructors have spent so much energy hammering home to aspiring professionals the credo of loyalty to the men and women "next to you" that, in the hierarchy created by the
Couple that primacy developed from training and instruction with our emotional tendencies and, all too often, this small-unit loyalty becomes the value. Capt.
The tolerance American men and women have for toxic leaders within the profession evinces the dynamic of competing loyalties: men and women who bide their time and hold their tongues in the face of incredible disrespect because they do not want to appear disloyal. That desire influenced subordinates to tolerate Lt. Gen.
Our training and education system reinforces this conception of loyalty so often as men and women enter the profession that it becomes an active part of their identity. It becomes part of the culture, a given element of an
This is important. It's great for cohesion, for fighting spirit, for esprit de corps. It is terrible for ensuring that the Army Profession is stewarded into the next decade. This all-important loyalty to the small group can be in conflict to loyalty to the
Because identity and emotional ties will easily overwhelm the intangible idea of allegiance to ideals, this conflict is rarely resolved. Behavior economist
However, loyalty is not an expression only of emotion. It is also a function of identity. In his Sociology of Loyalty,
Constructing this identity is a career-long process. Dr.
As
[This] is a different view of how loyalty can be inspired, in a manner such that the military goal of discipline can be achieved along with the social goal of having soldiers who are also reflective, morally sensitive men. This conception of loyalty is one of loyalty inspired by trust, where that trust resides in the moral integrity of the commander.14
That trust is the foundation of the Army Profession. If we purposefully build and continuously refine identities centered upon a desire to "establish Justice, insure [sic] domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of
* We will have no more conflicts of loyalty. Either a decision, an action, will reflect our true faith and allegiance, or it will not. If our smaller groups take action counter to the Constitution, it is that group that is disloyal.
* We will more clearly understand our duty to strive for excellence in supporting and defending the Constitution and the mission defined within it.
* We will not wonder how to treat people with respect, but recognize that every person has intrinsic worth and we must recognize their dignity.
* We will not wonder what it means to offer selfless service, but recognize we derive fulfillment and worth from serving the American people in a unique profession with individual expertise.
* We will not debate honor, but know that it is a reverence for honesty, candor, and the truth.
* We will strive every day for enough courage to live these values openly, with integrity, admitting our shortcomings, but striving.
We are working toward an achievable goal. Striving to be
PHOTO: Pfc.
Army StaffSgt.
We are loyal to the things most closely tied to our identity. The problem is that, today, too much of the identity of an
NOTES
1. See <http://www.army.mil/values/>.
2.
3.
4.
5. Sowden and Stewart, 3. The authors cite the following to support their claim: the
6. Inspector General, "Report of Investigation, Lt. Gen.
7.
8.
9. Sowden and Stewart, 18.
10.
11.
12. Connor, 51.
13.
14.
15. The Constitution of
Mr.
Copyright: | (c) 2013 Department of the Army Headquarters |
Wordcount: | 2189 |
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