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Army Values Analysis Paper
The army of the United States of America has seven values which guide their day to day operations. The values guide them in decision making in everything they do. This paper critically reflects on the values and ethos with respect to the field mission. It portrays the actual situations in which the army operates and the tough decisions that they have to make.
One of the values that solders in the army should have is loyalty. The army is supposed to bear true faith and allegiance to the constitution of the United States of America, the army, the units within the army in which they work and other solders. Loyalty to the country and their values dictates that they should be ready to be deployed and defend the country in case of any external aggression. According to the movie, the army is already out in the field, fighting with the enemy. However they have to make tough decisions concerning whether they should proceed with the fight or withdraw. Each decision made should uphold loyalty and at the same time adhere to other core values, ethics and their ethos.
Solders must accomplish their duties. Army officers should fulfil their duties and obligations. Their main duty is to maintain peace by engaging the enemy. They should work regardless of the circumstances. In the movie, we see the army marching to war and working hard. They are busy fulfilling their duties.
In order to do their work effectively, the solders need respect. Army officers should treat all people as they are supposed to be treated. They also treat each other with respect. They follow the commands of their leaders without fail. In the movie, we see the army following their commander into battle in a battlefield they know nothing about.
The army services all selflessly. By giving selfless service, the army of the United States of America is supposed to put the country’s welfare and the welfare of the army ahead of their self-interests. The solders, in the movie, leave their families behind and go for war. In so doing, they give their lives and face difficulties for the good of their country. The commander gives himself selflessly and is ready to face the consequences of his decisions.
The army is honorable. Each member of the U.S army should live up to the army values as laid down. According to them, it is better to fight the enemy until they exhaust their last strength instead of retracting. In the movie, the commander shows the qualities of a honorable leader. He takes control of the situation and takes responsibility when they are ambushed.
Solders need to serve with high level of integrity. The army should always do the right thing legally and morally. According to the mandate of the solders, they can kill the enemy. When examined from a moral and legal affair, murder is not a good thing. However, they do it for the common good of their nation because it is part of their work. It is not easy to have high integrity while following the laws.
Personal courage is an important value for the solders especially during war. The army should always be courageous enough to face fear, peril and the enemy. How can you gain courage and move forward when you are ambushed by the enemy? The solders face external aggression and yet they move forward. They endanger their lives for the good of citizens and people of other professions who may not understand what it takes to have peace.
The working ethos of the American army dictates that each member adheres to certain values. Teamwork is the first principle which governs their work. Each member works as part of the team. No member exists on his or her own. In all things, the army solves problems as team. They fight as a team, win as a team or get defeated as a team. Decisions made by the commanders of the army are binding to the entire team. In the movie, the solders follow their teamwork ethos when they go fighting as a team. However, something goes wrong when one shell-shocked soldier is left out of the team.
The army swears to serve all people. The army serves the people of the United States of America by living according to their values. They fulfil their ethos by moving out to do their work. Since the work of solders is risky, it should be carried out carefully.
Missions are important to the solders. The army always gives priority to missions. Even though they could be having other domestic issues, the solders should be ready to get deployed and go to the field to fight. The mission in this case was not like other normal missions. The solders got ambushed by the enemy. Regardless of the outcomes, they should still be ready for future missions. They learn from mistakes in their missions to apply the knowledge gained in subsequent ones.
Solders believe in winning. According to their ethos, the army never accepts defeat. What if they are killed? They will not be available to answer. They are so dedicated to win that they should give their lives for the missions. In the movie, something went wrong and they lost lives. In such situations, although they are not supposed to give up, they gave up to preserve lives. It is important to remember that the enemy also has the same ethos. They also do not want to lose the battle.
The army believes that there is no quitting until they win. According to their values, the army never quits. In the movie, they quit when the war is unfavorable. What does this tell us? We are supposed to be wise enough and make good decisions. Although there are values, they should not be followed blindly.
In the ideal situations, the army never abandons their own. The army ethos dictates that the army should never abandon a fallen comrade. What happens when you come under heavy fire from the enemy? It makes it ethical to save some life and abandon dead or severely injured solders. It is not easy for the commander to abandon anybody that is part of the team. Sometimes painful decisions can be made.
The army has personal traits which guide the team. Each solder is disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in their various tasks. All solders should always maintain their arms, equipment and themselves. The army believes in unity of purpose and ability. They believe that they are experts and professionals who should always emerge victorious.
The army is available. They are always ready to deploy, ready to engage an available to destroy the enemies of the United States of America in close combat. They always guard freedom and the American way of life. The values and ethos of the army are complex and hard to follow sometimes. The army is keen on following them. However, in situations which are not humanly possible to adhere to the values and ethos, they deviate from the norm, but not with consequences. In the example in this assignment, the army seems to forget about teamwork, abandoning their own, the value of the mission and the principle of never giving up and they are overtaken by the reality of the battle by facing a strong enemy. At the back of their minds, the army still knows what should have been done.
